Live Review: Winter, Union Pool, April 3, 2011

Viewing ApparitionsBy Scott Koerber

On Sunday night, NY Doom-Death progenitors Winter brought their hypnotic blend of Hellhammer-meets-Amebix-on-quallludes to a sold out crowd at Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY, the band’s first show in 20 years. In the years since their last live appearance (way back in 1991), the band has risen from obscurity to legend within every scene their unique sound nodded to: Death Metal, Crust Punk, Doom Metal, you name it. To say this show was a ‘much anticipated event’ for the droves who came out on Sunday night, would be the understatement of the century.

Sunday’s show in Brooklyn served as a warm-up for Winter’s much anticipated appearance on the main stage at the 2011 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland later this month. Promoters of the Brooklyn gig originally put the band on the bill under the pseudonym “Goden”. When word leaked 2 weeks ago that “Goden” was actually Winter, the NY show sold out within 45 minutes.

As the harrowing, feedback-soaked intro from their legendary 1990 debut Into Darkness LP crept from Stephan Flam’s guitar, bassist/vocalist John Alman greeted the jam packed club: “20 years and 20 fucking dreadlocks later”. The next hour was a doom junkie’s paradise as the band culled dirges from their crushing debut LP before returning to the stage for an encore to appease audience chants. Fingers crossed they play NY again real soon.

unARTigNYC filmed the song “Goden”: