Scorching Winter - Peripheral

Scorching Winter

Peripheral
self-released; 2015

3.6 out of 5

By Matt Jensen

Scorching Winter is a band from Melbourne, Australia comprised of Konstantina Papadimitriou (vocals), Rafael Katigbak (guitar), Natalie Bellio (keyboards), Glenn Treasure (bass) and Nick James (drums). The band released a couple of singles back in 2013 but just recently released their first EP entitled Peripheral.

The female-fronted band seems to be very aware of their sound. They have been compared to Evanescence but have been inspired by bands such as Metallica, Dream Theater and Iron Maiden. This is obvious to anyone who has listened to any of the aforementioned bands. 

Take for instance “Aggression” which touts the onslaught of guitars you may have heard from Metallica back in the ‘80s and also the orchestral synths you would hear if you listened to Dream Theater. It also doesn’t hurt that the production and recording quality is top notch either. Papadimitriou’s voice soars much like Amy Lee’s from Evanescence, which is one reason they might get comparisons. Nonetheless she can belt out a melody - there is no denying that.

“Take A Breath” is another solid tune, which rocks hard and displays the band's chemistry. The song has pretty straightforward palatable melodies and impressive drumming until a little bit over halfway through. There is a shift in vibe around three-and-a-half minutes in where the band turns to prog rock like that of Yes or King Crimson. The bass is all over the place while the guitars are a bit funky and clean. Don’t get me wrong - I like this part a lot but it came out of nowhere.

A pattern started to emerge as I found the band holds off on their most inventive instrumental parts until the second half of the song. “The Shining” is not only one of the most cinematic songs but after the four-minute mark gets intense with epic solos, double bass drum and piano. They save one of the best for last with “Dark Clouds.” It’s a fast song that is filled with kinetic energy. On top of that it's arguably Papadimitriou’s best vocal performance. 

Overall, what separates Scorching Winter is the influences they know they possess. The fact is there are a lot of metal bands that sound eerily similar to Evanescence. Scorching Winter's tip of the hat to ‘80s metal is the defining factor in their music that may make them stand out. 

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