We’ve been listening to the latest single, Condemned To Burn, by Texas (US) based, Wynter Kills, here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today, and for fans of heavy/death/Viking metal, this is definitely a track for your ears.
Condemned To Burn is a heavy and powerful track that comes straight in with a full band sound that hits you in all the feels! With an extremely clear and present kick drum, the song powers away for dear life.
The repeated guitar riff draws you in and demands attention immediately. Reminiscent of Pantera or Sepultura perhaps. The chugging guitars and kick drum match each other perfectly and keep driving the song forward.
The vocals, provided by Kelly McGill, display a great range in both pitch and technique. At times, taking a leaf out of Bruce Dickinson’s style of high vocals, other times sounding deep and guttural like Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway. Towards the end, there’s an almost operatic chorus of vocals. This is an extremely versatile vocalist.
All members of the band are of a high class in their chosen instrument. As with all death metal, the drums are particularly impressive and busy.
The song ends on an almost devilish-sounding scream-whisper that fades off into the distance, leaving you wondering if the band have been Condemned To Burn.
Our thoughts on production; With a hi-pass at around 40Hz, a wide boost in the low end at around 80Hz and a boost across the high mids and highs around 5.5-6kHz, this track would really reach a whole new level. The song is well-performed and well-written. There is a certain amount of clarity which could be increased with these adjustments. More thump in the low end and more overall brightness and definition in the higher frequencies would make a huge difference in our opinion.
Imagine Rob Holford joined Sepultura or Bruce Dickinson joined Pantera, and you have a picture of what this fascinating Texas band sound like. Great stuff – we’re looking forward to hearing more.