Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Estwind
Label: Self-released
Released: 2013
Length: 41:46
Rating: 3.5/5
Estwind are heavy metallers from the Goriška region who, in the last third of this October, gave birth to their studio debut, »Out of Control«. The guys took care of everything themselves. The album came out on their own label, and they produced it themselves too.
Estwiind follow the trend of the Europe-wide invasion of classic heavy metal revivalism. They draw their creative inspiration from the days when the new wave of British heavy metal was exploding. In the guitar riffs and the playing of guitarist Mitja Ambroželj you can feel the awe for the figure and work of Rhandy Rhoads, since the opening Born Again already taps into the guitar character of Ozzy’s first two albums. Estwind deliver a package of 8 songs with well-crafted lead guitar phrases and solid, tight arrangements of verses and chorus melodies. The band’s stylistically rustic take on heavy metal has just the right touch of doom in stringing together its gloomy drama theater!
The playing is tight and cohesive. The phrases have punch, and Kristjan’s solo escapades, which also impress in the decorative passages between sections, are definitely the album’s first big draw. The rhythm section is lively and dynamic, with the transitions especially well spiced up with rolls. The band radiates drive, a hunger to prove themselves and creative energy. The young guns’ ambition peaks on the album in the mini-epic suite-like creations Open Your Eyes and Estwind.
No need to stress that Estwind aren’t starting a musical revolution or charting unexplored musical horizons. They move within the recognizable, long-since-defined forms of old-school heavy metal. Just as Estwind took their first musical steps, other similar Slovenian bands like Shutdown, Vigilance and Motorfire walked the same path. The guys are on the right track, and the album has tangible musical substance and heart.
The weaker link of the quintet is the vocals. There’s still room to grow in the English, in delivering words properly in the verse melodies as well as in the meter. On top of that, you can tell the singer runs into trouble quite a few times when carrying his developed mid-range power up into the high and highest registers, which he often skips over with a clipped, nasal scream. One way out of this jam would be to retune the band to a key that suits the singer better. The same flaw shows up in the way verses end, often chopped off without any care for rounding the lines off melodically, which gives the songs overall a slight veil of punk. Given the rustic format, tied to the band’s love for the NWOBHM school, that doesn’t bother at all. Still, it’s clear the vocal delivery definitely hides some untapped reserves. The band doesn’t hide its fondness for punk elements, as the end of the album sees the slightly unexpected HC closer sung in German, titled Auzenkontrolen, where the vocals work better than in any other song on the album. This track, which stylistically departs from the rest of the material, shows that the young band is still somewhat searching for its stylistic direction.
»Out of Control« is a bold studio debut. It shows the ambition and talent of a young heavy metal band from the Goriška region, one that doesn’t bring any »earthquakes« in terms of style, but offers a safe ride through predictable, already-heard musical forms. But the band approaches it with a good dose of heart and plenty of willpower, which gives the music on »Ouit of Control« more »tangibility«. All in all, a perfectly measured first step that does carry a few flaws of beginner’s naivety, but hand on heart, few debuts don’t. »Out of Control« is thus a fine foundation document on which the band, through evolutionary maturing, can build freely with its studio successor.
Lineup
Andrej Goljevšček – vocals
Mitja Ambroželj – guitar
Kristjan Komel – guitar
Jernej Mlinar – bass guitar
Matjaž Winkler – drums
Production
Estwind
Tracklist
1. Born Again
2. Crazy Night
3. Ice Queen
4. Kill the Evil
5. Estwind
6. Open Your Eyes
7. Why Destiny
8. Auzenkontrolen
