How Like a Winter is a gothic doom metal band from Italy that was formed in the mid-1990s, although their first recording was not until much later. The band's music, which can be described as atmospheric and melancholy, is composed using violins, various classical, acoustic and electric guitars, and features male and female vocalists; the band members all use evocative pseudonyms. Male vocals are both clean and growled, whereas the female duo of Tragedy and Misery are invariably clean. Delicate violins mingle with heavy guitar riffs and are complemented by acoustic guitar solos. The band's music has been likened to that of Paradise Lost, Celestial Season, Novembers Doom, Shape of Despair, and My Dying Bride.[1] Guitarist Mist lists My Dying Bride as a great inspiration, along with Opeth and Katatonia among others.[2]
How Like a Winter | |
|---|---|
 How Like a Winter members (L-R):- Tragedy, Dust, Mist, Agony, Bane, Misery | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Campobasso, Italy |
| Genres | Gothic metal Death/doom |
| Years active | 1995 − present |
| Labels | Martyr Music Group |
| Members | Dust Agony Tragedy Misery Bane Mist |
| Website | www.howlikeawinter.it |
Their first recording was the 2001 demo-CD The Winter's Near. The band subsequently released their full-length album ...Beyond My Grey Wake in 2003. Both CDs were recorded at Temple of Noise studios, Rome, Italy. The release of their debut full-length album was met by very favourable reviews from magazines including Vampire Magazine, Digital Metal and Metal Edge. Martyr Music Group stated "Early in the year (2003) How Like a Winter's debut CD ...Beyond My Grey Wake comes out and the response was simply phenomenal".[3]
Etymology
editThe band's name is taken from the first line of William Shakespeare's sonnet XCVII:- "How like a winter hath my absence been".[4]
Members
editDiscography
edit- The Winter's Near (Demo, 2001)
- ...Beyond My Grey Wake (CD, 2003)
References
edit- ^ "Digitalmetal.com review of ...Beyond My Grey Wake". digitalmetal.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2007.
- ^ "Interview with Mist". Vampire Magazine.
- ^ "Martyr Music Group history". Martyr Music Group.
- ^ "Shakespeare's Sonnet XCVII". shakespeares-sonnets.com.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum Profile". Encyclopaedia Metallum.
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum Profile". Encyclopaedia Metallum.