Paysage d'Hiver - Steineiche

"This release is a singular vision, so don't start listening without the intent of taking in the whole hour plus experience. The vision is one of decay. Four quite lengthy songs strung together, slowly turning from a flurry of activity to absolute stillness. Go ahead, try to make an album this well thought out and executed. You'll die trying. The fact that this is a debut makes it all the more remarkable.

On the first track, blown out distortion rages alongside of delicately picked clean guitars while distant vocals howl and spit. There's some mind-meltingly good odd-time riffing, a brief reprieve, and a crushing climax. This is, without a doubt, a black metal masterpiece. The rest of the album contains (not in this order) operatic female singing, mournful violins, funeral bells, four part vocal harmonies, ambient noise, and a good sixteen minute chunk of crushing doom. What's truly impressive is that none of it sounds at all contrived or forced; in context, it all makes perfect sense.

My only disclaimer is about the sound quality. As with all Paysage D'Hiver releases, there is an overtly lo-fi (I'm supposed to call it "necro," whatever) quality that permeates the entire recording. On the other hand, if that stops you from liking this record, you probably don't like black metal, so I don't care about you all that much. Plus, compared with the other demos, Steineche sounds fucking great.

All in all, you would be a fool not to get this. It's beautiful and ugly, familiar and innovative, and really, really smart. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED."- Metal Archives

Steineiche 1998 Tracklisting 1. Die Baumfrau 20:01 2. Der Baummann 16:03 3. Der Baum 24:34 4. Deja Vu 11:33 Total playing time 01:12:11

Paysage d'Hiver is a solo project by a man named Tobias Möckl under the moniker Wintherr. Paysage d'Hiver is French for Landscapes of Winter, an appropriate title for the type of music this band is known for. This is the first of Paysage's releases. Honestly, I cannot sum the album up any better than the reviewer above me did. It's another very creative and perfectly executed album with absolutely no shortcomings. This man's vocals seem excrutiantingly deep, harsh, monstruous - demonic. They go very well with the music that is likewise ugly (although beautiful at times, too). Again, the album is not pure ambience unlike Paysage's later works. At the moment I cannot find a place that sells this album at all. If you know of somewhere, please, feel free to advise me. For now the buy link directs you to eBay to try your luck.

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