Released
1999

Label
Dragon Flight Recordings

Reviewed by
Daniel Marvin

Contact
Long Winter's Stare
Dragon Flight Recordings
788 Reservoir Ave.
Suite 294
Canston, RI 02910 USA
Dragon Flight Recordings

Last Edit/Update
10 October, 1999

Long Winter's Stare

Before the Dawn, So Go the Shadows of Humanity

Track Listing

1. Blood Of the Nazarene
2. He Is Insane
3. War Epic
4. Carry On
5. Into the Darkness
6. Hounds
7. Remain Life Eternal
8. Into the Sun

    The work which is presented on Long Winter's Stare's most recent recording, "Before the Dawn, So Go the Shadows of Humanity," is indeed their best thusfar as they've truly progressed since their initially EP on Pantheon Records. By combining melodic keys with well-crafted guitar riffs, clean vocals with deep growls, and fairly interesting song structures, they manage to surpass a number of metal bands today who try to transcend the typical raw metal sound signature. But, realistically, unless someone told me it was metal, outside of the deep growls here and there I would probably label it more along the lines of rock music.
     The music itself isn't really too dark sounding (as in evil or scary), except for the first track which is predominately acoustic guitar, contrabass, and clean vocals. I can hear alot of melancholy feelings within the music, but there is often a feeling of hope hidden beneath the layers like on the track "Remain Life Eternal." Gliding string arrangements with clean male vocals, deep growls about the track, and laid back guitars and percussion. While other tracks like "He Is Insane" combine progressive pianos, clean male vocals / screams, deep growls, deep guitars, and interesting percussion.
    There are a few tracks which get really boring at times such as "Into the Darkness," "War Epic," and their "winterized," as they call it, cover of "Carry On My Wayward Son," by Kansas. But, outside of those, this recording is truly something which many who are into the lighter side of metal as well as the heavier side of gothic would enjoy.