Review by SzejkElRopa on May 11, 2026.

When you think of a country with the "best" winter, you definitely wouldn't think of Greece, right? Until, obviously, you want a winter without any snow, no temperatures below zero, and anything truly wintry. Then, Greece is one of the best European options you have. Soulreaper, a mysterious figure hailing from Greece, seems to think otherwise - he wishes winter lasted eternally. According to all-knowing Metal Archives, he relocated to Scotland. Only then did he realise that rather than snow, he would find rain in Glasgow. So, he went on with producing cold-sounding music. And this was not a bad idea.

"Unveiled Nightsky", Soulreaper's fifth album, doesn't try to reinvent the wheel and plays a version of melodic black metal most fans of the genre know well. Although there is little to no originality in the music, the way it is put together can be described as undeniably very good. Let's take a look at the riffs - there is the genre's characteristic repetitiveness in them, with a few riffs leading the song. They are played in a normal tremolo-picking manner yet remain memorable without becoming overly catchy. For instance, the one in the opening track - "Born Of Winter's Breath" - thanks to its coldness, conveys the emotions of desolation and fury at the same time. The same can obviously be said about the rest of the riffs, which are quite similar in nature yet instantly distinguishable. What can be said about the emotions is that they slowly but steadily rise with every song, and in "Echoes Of A Fallen Crown", the vocals reach the peak of agony or any other emotion he intended to convey. On that track, his performance sounds especially intense. Moreover, one of the highlights in this album is the track "Nurtured By The Night", and specifically, the atmospheric interlude. Despite the rapid nature of this song at first, the song suddenly slows down, and spoken, quite preachy-sounding vocals can be heard. This interlude is, in my opinion, one of the album's highlights. Lastly, the closing track, an instrumental, works very well thanks to its violin and cello, which add a pinch of melancholy and majesty to this wintry landscape evoked by black metal music.

Another strong point of the album is the bass guitar work, which is audible throughout the album. It's a rare occurrence in this genre, especially taking into account the quite raw (yet not off-putting) production. Not only is it audible, but it is also played quite well, which can be heard in the aforementioned interlude in "Nurtured By The Night". In other moments, it is usually rumbling alongside the wall of sound, which is a nice addition that doesn't ruin the atmosphere. As stated, the riffs are usually tremolo-picked, but there are exceptions to that rule. For example, "The Deceiver's Tale" features an interlude with a heavier riff, and "Echoes Of A Fallen Crown" starts with a sepulchral classical guitar, which sets a tone for the rest of the song. None of the eight tracks surpasses the five-minute mark, and most of the time, they are fast-paced due to rapid drum work. V.Nuctemeron, the guest drummer, regularly delivers fills and blastbeats, and leads the album well without losing any of the atmosphere. Last but not least, the songs have quite a simple structure, with choruses and verses, which makes them more memorable. In my opinion, the best example appears on "Omen Of The Cosmic Order" thanks to the dynamic, very melodic riff leading the song.

I have no idea whether my thesis on why Winter Eternal exists is true or not; however, I know that Soulreaper produced very strong material with lots of atmosphere, emotions, and melodies, which definitely appealed to me. Therefore, I give "Unveiled Nightsky" 8.7/10. Although it wasn't absolutely stunning, it managed to bring winter back into my thoughts despite it being May. Recommended to any melodic black metal fan who does not demand originality at all costs.

Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Review by Jeger on January 7, 2026.

The timeless art of Black Metal is what will carry some of us through this dawning of a new Dark Age - the music of ancient days and of mystifying realms forlorn. As we succumb to the bewildering paradox of mass communication and global degeneracy - the reality of having all of the information in the known Universe in the palm of our hands as we simultaneously dumb down somehow. A pathetic place the world has indeed become! So, we lose ourselves in the moments that make up our dearest Black Metal recordings. And therein lies the beauty of the genre - the world spirals further into the shitter and true Black Metal stays pure; pure as the blackened lunar curtain that precedes the dawn.

Melodic Black Metal - a lost art in this modern era. Why? Because not everyone gets it. To understand true Melodic BM is to comprehend the majesty of Dissection, Dawn and Sacramentum - the Swedish MBM triumvirate. And with this knowledge comes expectation: a standard and a bar set. Perhaps that's why MBM has become a lost art. Who wants to take on the impossible task of writing an album that could rival "The Somberlain"? Winter Eternal is up for the challenge…

Winter Eternal is a Melodic Black Metal band that got its start in Greece and then later relocated to Scotland. It is masterminded by one Soulreaper and backed by the percussion of V. Nuctemeron, the cello of Varvara Tsotra and the violin of Dimitris Charisis. On February 13, Winter Eternal will bestow its highly-anticipated fifth LP benefaction upon us, "Unveiled Nightsky", via the venerable Hells Headbangers.

Long lost and yet stark as daylight. Music that harkens back to those Golden Days of yore while maintaining a crisp modern edge. Cutting through the mix with laser precision are the guitars during the opening track, "Born Of Winter's Breath" - uplifting tremolo riffs radiate into the atmosphere with an ethereal yet blanketed quality like the thick oily smoke of pipe tobacco as it absorbs into its surroundings and every bit as rich, bold and characteristic. The following track, "Omen Of The Cosmic Order", unfolds to a myriad of varying tempos as alternations between mid and low-intensity progressions give way to swift blast-beats and dense tom-rolls. Conceptually, "Unveiled Nightsky" details the wonder of Greek mythology, Algonquian Folklore and the vastness of the Cosmos - a thematic smorgasbord to keep you fat, happy and fulfilled for the duration. A gout-initiating level of melodic richness to debauch in the title-track: rolling melodic sequences unfold to martial rhythms and intrepid bass lines until eventually all elements converge into a maddening but calculated crescendo of Black Metal.

When you get it, you get it, and in the case of Winter Eternal, it's like all of the very best elements of Melodic BM funnel into a multilayered influential hearkening back to the sub-genre's best releases, but don't expect the same approach on the engineering front. "Unveiled Nightsky" is a contemporary specimen of sound engineering: crisp, layered and fulfilling through and through. No Dungeon Synth dork love and nothing too flamboyant as far as atmosphere and composition to talk about. This record can be summed up in three words: elite, classy and austere.

Following the epic, "Echoes Af A Fallen Crown", with its cozy even flow of warm tremolo riffs and soothing blast-beats, comes the outro, "Drifting Into The Depths Of Oblivion". An acoustic guitar-driven, violin-accented beauty. Fit for dying to and a gorgeous cap off to what's been a truly great Black Metal record. What an important album. More of this, please! So many Underground Black Metal bands are so concerned with sounding like they're straight outta Norway that this Sverige-honoring work just feels a bit more vital to BM. May the Art of true Melodic Black Metal find its way back home to our hearts once again, and may Winter Eternal continue to crush the status quo beneath their boots. Hail!

Rating: 9.5 out of 10