Review by Rachel Jablonski
How many times have I listened to The Imaginary Direction of Time and thought about putting it to words? Endless amounts. This pattern of repeated listens followed by lack of word descriptions could go on forever. But now I need to struggle through the completion of this review and, as they say, there is no time like the present.
No time like the present. Wow, could I possibly reference a worse cliché? However, time is of the essence in the latest release from Norway’s Winds. Notions of time are suggested throughout the disc time and time again via album title, song titles such as "Time Without End," "Final End," and "Infinity", and lyrical word references. But for the time being, disregard these redundancies. The heavy music softened by lulling strings and enhancing keys produce music that is anything but clichéd.
“What is Beauty?” The appealing gentle sounds of classical strings and piano create a dark, yet peaceful mood at the introduction of each song on the album. Poetic, soft vocals interrupt the flow of sound revealing potential concepts as well as references to time. Throughout the album the trend of well written, poetic lyrics is central. Though most of the words are sung, it is easy to imagine the words of the album in a book of poetry or at a spoken word presentation. The lyrics, whether intentional or not, are very vague allowing for vast interpretation. Heavy solo guitar, frequent bass, and steady drums create an interesting twist to the recurring strings and piano keys. The mix of classical, progressive, and metal genres creates a unique sound sure to influence infinite perspectives for every listener.
Time and time again now I have listened to the sounds of Winds. Though I have not yet reached a full understanding of the album from my perspective, I have found the disc to be an interesting approach to newness of sound.