"I have a hard enough time playing, much less trying to figure out how I’m gonna put makeup on."

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Hailing from Orange County are four guys who would rather remain true to their uncompromising musical vision than set the world on fire in a quick spark of popularity. If some measure of success was hinged on going it any other direction than their way, the band would just as soon stay in the garage. United they stand as Winterthrall, a band comprised of Steve Nelson on vocals and guitar, Josh Standifer on guitar, Ruben Lugo on bass and vocals, and Rob Alaniz on drums.

Winterthrall’s emergence onto the underground scene has been a slow burn since its inception back in late 2001. At that time, founders Nelson and Alaniz, who had played in such acts as Noctuary and Evil Dead, decided to put together a brutally grim, sonic concoction of black/death metal, adding former guitarist Elizabeth Schall and Lugo for bass duties.

With the latest release, Stormraven, and an ever-growing conviction to annihilate stages with their straight-ahead brand of brutality, Winterthrall is coiled and ready to strike.

The new album shines on what made Winterthrall stand out from the beginning, says Lugo. "We weren’t really death metal, we weren’t really black metal. We had all those parts. What stood us apart was the fact we broke from that and actually had an aspect with melody. That’s what’s helped Winterthrall, I think, since the beginning. We didn’t taper ourselves into one genre. It was always a mix of everything. A lot of people appreciate that, especially with this new album now."

The writing of the music for Stormraven was divvied up between guitarists Nelson and Standifer. Up until this release, most Winterthrall songs had been written solely by Nelson. Standifer, who handled the majority of lead guitar on the new album, admits he and Nelson have different methods of attack on guitar. Nonetheless, it works for the benefit of the bands axe-heavy sound. Standifer explains: "It’s a good mix, because he’s so outside the box, and I was trained by a jazz musician for a couple years, so I learned theory, modes, scales, composition. So I was outside the box a little with my writing style. Scales and modes are already floating in my head, whereas he’s self-taught. We meet in the middle."

Drummer Alaniz is a man of few words, and lets his music do the talking. He has drummed for several bands, and recently did a European tour with power metal legends, Abattoir, which Alaniz regards as a dream come true. "I started, actually, as a drum tech for Abattoir," reveals Alaniz. "I was sound-checking for their drummer at one of the shows they did—a big show. The sound man told the bass player that I was way better than their drummer. So Mel [Sanchez] called me after Abattoir broke up and we started Evil Dead."

Winterthrall’s sound could be classified more as a black metal band than anything else. What’s refreshing about these guys is their warped sense of humor. They just don’t seem to take themselves too seriously. When sharing stages with other bands, they are usually standing out as the band not wearing the standard corpse paint. "I have no problem with any band donning corpse paint and doing the theatrics." says Nelson. "We just never got into it in any band we’ve ever done. If somebody wants to do it, that’s fine. I have a hard enough time playing, much less trying to figure out how I’m gonna put makeup on."

DICK_of_DETH - 8/3/2010 3:24:18 PM
Just what we needed, another death/black/grindcore metal band.

WARPIGG13 - 7/12/2010 1:07:16 PM
WINTERTHRALL HAS BEEN SINCE THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEM PLAY BACK IN 03 ONE OF MY FAVORITE LA/OC BLACK METAL BANDS. THEY NEVER DISAPPOINT AND ARE ONE OF THE MOST PROFESSIONAL AND EASIEST BANDS TO WORK WITH. IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THEM PLAY OR HAVE OR HEARD THEIR STUFF, YOU'RE MISSING OUT!!!!!

The_Space_Lord - 7/9/2010 9:09:04 AM
I just wanted to point out that this must be the first time the names Nelson and Alanis have ever been associated with Scandinavian black metal that I can recall.

brywilson2 - 7/8/2010 1:18:42 AM
Just what we needed, another death/black/grindcore metal band. As if Sweden didn't send enough crap here already. Nothing against these guys, but there's a reason that in chicago, bands of this genre play to maybe 75 people in a bar you wouldn't go to on a bet, in a neighborhood that scares any sane person,even in the daytime, on a weekend night even! Very few ppl care for this music. Oh well, if they make enough $$$ touring to stay afloat, bless 'em. At least it's not nu-metal or rap.

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