Review: Melancholie – Winterkronieken

Review by Rick Eaglestone

Melancholie – Winterkronieken

Record Label: Naturmacht Productions

Year: 2025

Rating: 7/10

Winterkronieken, which translates to ‘Winter Chronicles,’ comprises three narratives about winter. This release will open with a metaphor of personal struggle encapsulated in a lonely tree standing amongst icy winds and snowfall, with the second story being a musical interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘Girl with the Matches’ fairytale & The third and final chapter of the release is an interwoven 25-minute opus of re-recorded demo songs linked together in one recording. These contain some of the first songs written for this project, dating back over 15 years.

The Dutch outfit has crafted something genuinely special here—a winter-themed journey that actually earns its conceptual ambitions. There’s a melodic sensibility at play that calls to mind the more sophisticated end of the Cascadian Black Metal movement, but with a distinctly European melancholy threaded through every passage. The leads soar and weep in equal measure, painting vivid sonic landscapes that genuinely evoke the desolation and beauty of winter rather than just telling you about it.

There’s plenty of traditional blackened rasping when it serves the songs, but there’s also variety—grim spoken-word passages, desperate howls, and even some clean vocals that add texture. There are moments of furious aggression that hit like a blizzard, followed by passages of haunting beauty that feel like standing alone in a snow-covered forest at dusk. The dynamic range on display is impressive, and crucially, it never feels forced or arbitrary. Every shift in tempo and intensity feels earned.

The album’s conceptual coherence is really its strength as It absolutely nails the winter atmosphere it’s going for. What really impresses me about Winterkronieken is that it feels like a complete artistic statement rather than just a collection of songs. There’s vision here, ambition, and most importantly, the skill to pull it off.

Melancholie

The album opens with “Introductie,” which is a proper scene-setter, establishing the mournful, contemplative atmosphere that permeates the entire record. Acoustic guitars weave melancholic patterns whilst distant, echoing sounds create an unsettling sense of vastness—like standing at the edge of something profound and ancient.

“De treurwilg” (The Weeping Willow) is where Melancholie announces itself properly. The imagery of the weeping willow, nature’s own symbol of sorrow, is captured perfectly through cascading melodic lines and shifting dynamics. There’s genuine emotional heft here, moving from introspective passages to moments of cathartic release. The way the clean vocals intertwine with the harsher elements creates this beautiful tension between fragility and rage.

Then we get “Intermezzo,” a brief thirty-two-second palate cleanser that serves as a breath before the onslaught. It is sparse, haunting, and essential—a moment of calm before the storm.

And what a storm “Vervlogen met de Zwavelrook” (Vanished with the Sulphur Smoke) turns out to be. At over seventeen minutes, this is the album’s epic centrepiece and absolute highlight. The track moves through multiple distinct movements, from meditative acoustic passages to absolutely punishing Black Metal fury. Around the nine-minute mark, there is a section that’s pure blackgaze bliss—shimmering, cascading guitars that feel like watching ash fall from a burning sky. The way it builds, collapses, and rebuilds is masterful. This is where the band truly showcases their compositional chops.

“Elegie” does exactly what it says on the tin—a mournful, elegiac piece that strips things back to essentials. Predominantly clean-toned and restrained, it is a gutsy move placing something this vulnerable deep in the track list. The whispered vocals and sparse instrumentation create genuine intimacy.

The title track “Winterkronieken” closes the record, and it is the perfect summation of everything that has come before. All the themes and motifs return, woven together into one final statement. It’s triumphant yet melancholic, aggressive yet beautiful—capturing winter in all its contradictory glory. The closing passage, with its layered guitars fading into silence like the last snowfall of the season, is genuinely affecting stuff.

This is an album for those long, dark nights when you want something that engages both your head and your gut. Winterkronieken is worth your time – a winter chronicle that has something meaningful to say.