WINTER – Looking Back

Looking Back by Winter is not merely a retrospective anthology or a compilation but rather a collection of re-recorded and reworked tunes from the outfit’s back catalogue. Musically speaking, this is an eclectic and interesting mixture of many different things, and dark rock seems like an apt description here. Hard rock, a touch of heavy metal, plenty of 80s goth rock influences, and even a few blues- and country-inspired riffs are what lie in store for you, and the result is both satisfying and satisfyingly diverse. It is the darkly romantic sense of yearning that courses through many of these compositions that is the most enticing and appealing aspect of the album, and there is no lack of emotional depth here. A few duds do appear, the dreadful ‘Take it Slow‘ being the most obvious example, but for the most part you get some intriguing, well-written pieces that are surprisingly gloomy and haunting in places. Winter sure do know a thing or two about conjuring up a convincingly morose atmosphere, and the CD digipak is limited to merely 300 copies, so get off your ass should you wish to acquire a copy of it.