Winter Calling-As Darkness Falls

Self-Release/Independent
2015

Formed in Florida in 2013 by Wayne Hoefle (drums, piano, keys) and Ian Medhurst (guitar), Winter Calling is a Tampa-based band whose elegant sound combines elements of pop rock, classical rock, progressive rock, hard rock, melodic metal and traditional heavy metal. "As Darkness Falls" is Winter Calling's (exemplary) full-length debut and it is prime example of what can be accomplished when you combine the talents of four exceptional musicians with sophisticated songwriting and a clean production! On the 11-track "As Darkness Falls" all the stars align for this four-piece band and with one exceptional song after another there's simply nothing wrong with this band's first offering. This album is as close to a A+ recording as one can get and for a band that originally started out as nothing more than a side-project for the pair of Wayne and Ian that observation almost suggest some sort of otherworldly intervention! Could there be something magical behind the creation of "As Darkness Falls"? You almost have to wonder! How else do you explain Wayne and Ian striking gold with the addition of Chris Hodges (vocals) and Tim Gilbreath (bass)? I find it hard to believe that this pair just "happened" to stumble upon two fellow musicians/gentlemen of this caliber. A perfect line-up for the perfect debut album? That seems a little fishy right? But whatever the source of this band's power (and I'm not ruling out some kind of government involvement and/or C.I.A. brainwashing experiment either!) one thing remains crystal clear. "As Darkness Falls" should easily put this Floria band on the map and with the right hands helping them out this Tampa band could (and really should) go far. You can't hide this kind of talent for long. It's just not possible. As such I can see this quartet making it big. All signs point that way, but don't just take my word for it. Go out and grab a copy of "As Darkness Falls" for yourself. You can get it at places like Amazon, CD Baby and iTunes. In the meantime you can check out the band's video for their song "The Stand" below. It's just one of the eleven great numbers on this band's first album and it stacks up nicely to moments like "A World I Can Feel" (the album's powerful opening cut!), "Self-Righteous Parade", "A Moment In The Sun", "Leader Of One" and "108". Want more? How about the band's cover of "Wasted Years" then? That's right folks. "As Darkness Falls" also features a Iron Maiden cover and it fits right in with Winter Calling's original material. So you really can't go wrong with this one friends. For more information on Winter Calling be sure to check out the band's Facebook page or their official website.