Windhand - Grief’s Infernal Flower (Relapse Records) 2015
8
Windhand’s third full-length album, Grief’s Infernal Flower, is the culmination of a goal, a high point (it would be indecent to call it a peak since they have many years ahead of them) of a mountain that they started climbing back in 2012 with their self-titled debut album. The Richmond, Virginia, doom metal outfit are by now in the forefront of a genre that was pivotal to the creation of many of the existent extreme music genres. It’s the balance between the monolithic riffs of the duo Asechiah Bogdan/Garrett Morris, with the occasional soulful solos, the earthy ambiences, and the impeccable, hazy vocals of Dorthia Cottrell, that make this album an irresistible trip. Tracks like “Sparrow” and “Aition” just deepen the end result with the band’s fervent folk being unapologetically exposed. Windhand’s music will grab you by the neck and amaze you every second of the 71 minutes of Grief’s Infernal Flower.