Winter's Gate

The Finnish melodic death metal quintet constructs an ambitious concept album consisting of a single, sprawling 40-minute epic track. The record is an intricate musical adaptation of a short story written by vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, detailing a group of Vikings seeking a fabled island west of Ireland. It flawlessly balances furious extreme metal pacing with sweeping, cinematic acoustic interludes and sorrowful melodies.