Review by Jason on April 3, 2012.

"Spyhorelandet" is the sophomore full length release from the Norwegian band Formloff who has been lingering amongst the metal scene for around a decade now. As the album’s press release states, this record is a grim portrait of that which we as humans create. “When you peel back the skin, no matter how beautiful, what is left is the ugly personal histories each of us carries.” Their statement here rings true, and is felt throughout "Spyhorelandet" in its entirety.

Every track within is dripping with atmosphere and pain, acting as a reflection to our darkest moments in life. Slightly twisted Black Metal landscapes engulf the listener in all they have done. Progressive themes pulse under the drone, coming in to play in rather organic, natural manners which for the most part succeed in amplifying the potency of this albums theme. Keyboards, brass instruments and other odds and ends fit their way perfectly into select portions of songs never coming off as forced.

Musically, execution is superb, though far from demanding. Composition sits at the forefront of this entity, as it should. Layering is thought out and complements both harsh and laid back portions of songs adding both feeling and progressive vibes. Rarely do tracks wallow on paths for too long, or change too rapidly. It is not done without an occasional stir though, as the band seems to struggle with a few of the more aggressively punctuated segments they implement.

At the end of the day, when dealing with a piece such as "Spyhorelandet" one can largely judge its success by its ability to keep the listener consistently immersed. While on occasion repetitive vocal arrangements can pull the listener out of their dive into this release, as a whole it succeeds quite splendidly at keeping you submerged in every passage offered. Implementation of fresh ideas woven into the frequently traveled atmospherically charged Black Metal terrain certainly aids the release, but is never used as a crutch. In conclusion, Formloff will properly engage fans of both Black Metal and those longing for something slightly different with this LP.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 8
Overall: 8.5

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 14, 2019.

This album has the imprint of John Arch and Jim Matheos all over it, though it features a number of other excellent musicians as well.  Arch’s characteristic high pitched and nasally croon nicely fits over the top of these tracks.  There is a wonderful atmosphere that the album title nicely reflects in the wintery tone of the songs.  There is a definite throwback to the older Fates Warning material, but nicely put within a more modern context. 

The songs here are tight and well constructed pieces that run for a reasonably long run time to get their point across.  The glory times of Fates Warning have been updated for the present time and are done more effectively than even the band Fates Warning are capable of these days.  There is an extensive use of dramatic dynamics to make things as interesting as possible.  The guitars are done nicely and have a lot of shifts and changes associated with them.  However, it is John Arch’s voice that is the biggest high point on the album.  He sounds like a man half his age on these songs and his voice only accentuates the songs instead of dragging them down.  Could this album be even better?  Yes.  Despite being progressive, the songs could be even more so and more intricate than they are.  There is still a reasonable amount of complexity to be found here.  Also, the songs aren’t quite as memorable as those from the Awaken the Guardian era and take more time to wrap your head around. 

The experience is infinitely worth it, however, as this is one of the best albums of the year.  It has the right atmosphere to pull the listener in at any time and makes for a grand listen that comes to an epic close with Kindred Spirits.  With a few improvements the band could be even better and produce some of the most exciting music of this generation.  Regardless, Winter Ethereal is an excellent release and one that must be checked out by fans of John Arch and Jim Matheos and the early material by Fates Warning featuring Arch.

Rating: 8 out of 10