“Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife” is the latest single from Finnish folk metal giants, ENSIFERUM. The heroic new track comes by way of the band’s stunning new studio album, Winter Storm, set for release on October 18th through Metal Blade Records.
Much of the new material emerged during lockdown, when ENSIFERUM’s founding guitarist Markus Toivonen set himself the challenge of finding new ways to make music — eventually composing every song except the rousing, anthemic “Fatherland,” written by bassist Sami Hinkka. The addition of singer/organist Pekka Montin’s crystal-clear melodic high notes provided a tremendous boost on Thalassic. But on Winter Storm — a fantasy concept narrative penned by Hinkka — Montin’s super-strong voice finds its optimal place in ENSIFERUM’s sound. Bringing to life such grandiose, heroic material, the singer emerges as one of the greatest vocal discoveries of the decade.
“The lyrics of Winter Storm are based on part of my unpublished fantasy book. This album is more like a ’musical’ than a traditional album,” says Hinkka. He further elaborates on “Long Cold Winter Of Sorrow And Strife,” “From hearing the first demo of this song, I instantly visualized it as a song about a harsh and dark Winter. The lyrics tell about a member of the Winter Storm Vigilantes who was exiled and he is barely alive as he wanders at snowy wastelands. He is saved and taken into a remote tavern where he regains his strength and has a vision of his destiny. The song takes the listener on a journey into another world by building up slowly towards a freezing cold winter storm.”
