A ritualistic ambient atmosphere and enchanting keyboards welcome us to the sanctuary of „Magna Mater“ – the third full-length album of the Polish black metal band Kalt Vindur.
Devoted to the power of heritage energy and overflowing with beautiful atmospheres and progressive black metal elements, the album carries a strong authenticity within itself that enchants almost instantly.

As the  title track „Magna Mater“ („The Great Mother“) begins, a fascinating immersion in music takes place. Playing with the ear, the band maneuver through different tempos and vocal techniques, starting with the song’s aforementioned ritualistic intro and moving into a fast progressive whirlwind of fast-paced instrumentals and ferocious black metal vocals, soon joined by brief  heavy metal guitar solos, replaced not long after by the traditional tremolo and a refreshing cold atmosphere. A slow, pulsating instrumental creeps in through the cold and fills the space, dissolving into it the whispers of Wojciech Kozub… only to attack with an uncompromising roar a few seconds later. The sound variety is such that when you listen to the album for a first time, you may be  not entirely  aware of what exactly awaits you and it is quite an interesting experience. High emotional charge and supreme power, erupting in streams of magma, spill over the space and dissolve into the ear, to finish with acoustic haunting melodies and a sense of lightness.

The second song of the album – „Żywioły“ („The Elements“) also has an inspirational and philosophical intention, like the whole album, namely – paying tribute to the ancestors, whose deeds, lives and desires are reflected in everything around us. It implies that our attitude towards spirituality, religion etc. it’s not important. The energy of our  ancestors is still present, even though their bodies have long since crumbled to dust. This energy is coming back to  our lives today, just as our energy will return to future generations and invite them to move in a particular direction. In the song, in addition to the well-known and wonderfully played progressive black metal, there is also a special moment with the guitar effect in part of the song, which sounds like synthesizer, and it gives a strong nuance to this slice of time. Several layers of guitars intertwine and create a feeling of floating in space, reminiscent of the rush of freshness at dusk.

Each of the following tracks also have distinctive elements, some of which I found strange at first listen, but after a few spins managed to mature in me in a beautiful way – the metal riffs in „Agonizing Luninostly“ with rhythmic blast beats and djent bass, for example, which are also present in other parts of the album. There are some associations that cross my mind as  with the music of the Portuguese  Gaerea, who similarly weave various more progressive and boundary-pushing black metal elements into their work. An interesting contrast is also achieved with the final song from the album – „Mist Over Cergova“, which is completely instrumental and seems to entirely separate itself as a composition from the other six tracks, reminding me of the soundtrack of a sci-fi movie, and for me personally it was kind of  a nice surprise.

With heavily accented drums, intense  vocals and experimental approach, the music of „Magna Mater“ has a special charm. Combining atmospheric black metal and progressive elements with ornaments from other genres, an unconventional work rises before us, which sends quite traditional messages about the importance of blood ties and hereditary values. If you like  the more rebellious  and out-of-the-box black metal music, this record will undoubtedly grab your attention.

Favorite song: „Visions of Purification“

You can hear the following track before the release date:

Album: „Magna Mater“
Band: Kalt Vindur
Label:  The Circle Music
Relase date:  January 26th, 2024
Pre-order link: https://bit.ly/46crM2h