(Doom) Five years after their last longplayer „Into Dark Science“ (2018), southern German doom/sludge/darkness monsters announce a new album! “Her Cold Materials” (named after Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” novel cycle, in which a teenager must find herself and save her world) is a coming-of-age folk horror tale of a teenage woman.
When instrumental Doom act OMEGA MASSIF announced its break-up, members Andreas Schmittfull and Christof Rath reformed under the name PHANTOM WINTER. The aim was to create extreme music. They called the style “Winterdoom”.
Melancholy meets cold and anger. The drumming is brutal and staccato-like, reminding on machines and monstrosities. Lots of noise, lots of anger, lots of Doom, Post and even Black Metal elements, apocalyptic scenarios set to music, dense atmosphere, subtle guitar melodies, a bit of drone, sometimes compact and sometimes epic. PHANTOM WINTER weave all these components lovingly and serve the whole outcome on top level with ornaments next to loads of dirt.
Their live performances are always intense and angry, visitors like to compare them to church services.