PHANTOM WINTER • Her Cold Materials • LP

This Charming Man Records

New concept album from PHANTOM WINTER, Germany’s only “Winterdoom” band!

The Würzburg-based band, originally formed in 2014 as a side project of the unique instrumental group OMEGA MASSIF, hits us with a brutal, massive, and dark sonic block. Black and post-metal fuse with sludge, ambient, and post-punk at a high level — I’d honestly be surprised if they didn’t show up at the next Roadburn festival, because that’s exactly where they belong. Fundamentally melancholic and epic, underpinned by machine-like staccato drumming, the sound is dark, cold, and furious.

The six slow, grinding tracks demand time and attention. The outstanding songwriting unfolds layer by layer into a nightmarish scenario that constantly seems to lurk, crouched and ready to strike from the shadows. The contrast between gentle, melodic E-bow leads and clean or spoken vocals on one side, and precise, crushing riffing, vocal samples, and feral growls on the other, heightens the unsettling atmosphere. Every song is clearly meticulously crafted, packed with details — and I haven’t even begun to unpack the lyrics and story yet.

Conceptually, the album draws inspiration from Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, a theme reinforced by the use of spoken word samples in both English and German, giving the record a soundtrack-like feel.

With this release, PHANTOM WINTER has scored a major triumph — an album that should firmly establish them on the international stage.

A must for fans of ULTHA, THE OCEAN, CULT OF LUNA, or MANTAR.