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THE WARMEST SUN IN WINTER

Believe

Neo-Prog


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Believe The Warmest Sun In Winter album cover
3.70 | 132 ratings | 11 reviews | 21% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
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Studio Album, released in 2013

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. The End (1:48)
2. Beginners (8:05)
3. The Warmest Sun In Winter (5:35)
4. Words (5:44)
5. Unborn/Turn Around (8:06)
6. Please Go Home (4:51)
7. Heartless Land (10:53)

Total time 45:02

Bonus track on 2013 digipak edition:
8. The Bright Day (2:29) - hidden track

Line-up / Musicians

- Karol Wróblewski / vocals
- Mirek Gil / guitars
- Konrad Wantrych / keyboards, backing vocals
- Przemysław Zawadzki / bass
- Vlodi Tafel / drums

With:
- Satomi / violin (6,8)

Releases information

Artwork: Tomasz Płonka with Hengki Koentjoro (photo)

CD Metal Mind Productions ‎- MMP CD 0717 DG (2013, Europe) With a bonus track

Thanks to windhawk for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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BELIEVE The Warmest Sun In Winter ratings distribution


3.70
(132 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(21%)
21%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(40%)
40%
Good, but non-essential (32%)
32%
Collectors/fans only (6%)
6%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

BELIEVE The Warmest Sun In Winter reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Windhawk
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars Polish band BELIEVE was formed in 2005 by veteran Polish guitarist Mirek Gil as his new band project. He assembled a band around him fairly quickly, and a number of releases have followed. "The Warmest Sun in Winter" was is their most recent album, and was released through Polish label Metal Mind Productions in 2013.

The 2013 edition of Believe is one that resides in the heartland of the neo progressive universe, sporting gentle symphonic backdrops, melodic guitar soloing aplenty and otherwise compositions of a fairly mellow and controlled nature throughout. A disc that might have become somewhat plain without the strong and impressive lead vocals of Karol Wroblewski . His presence elevates this album markedly however, to the point of making this disc an easy one to recommend to fans of neo progressive rock in general and those amongst them with a strong affection for high quality lead vocals in particular.

Review by Easy Livin
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
4 stars A warm glow

A little over two years have elapsed since the release of the fine "World is round" album, during which time Believe kept us interested with the superb live DVD "Seeing is believing". Interestingly, for this album violinist Satomi is listed as a "special guest", her presence being restricted to just two of the eight tracks.

Most of the songs are band compositions, with Karol Wróblewski writing all the lyrics (in English). The album's concept is that of a reunion between old friends, who find that their lives have followed starkly different paths, and how their enduring friendship brings sun into their lives.

The album opens with a brief reflective instrumental, "The end", featuring piano and guitar. This serves as an atmospheric prelude to "Beginners", an 8 minute piece written by keyboards player Konrad Wantrych (with lyrics by vocalist Wróblewski). Right from the start, Mirek Gil re-establishes his lead guitar as the principal instrumental sound for the album. The track is majestic, with a strong melody and a fine vocal performance from Wróblewski. It is though Gil's distinctive guitar work that brings out the depth and strength of the song.

The title track is characterised by a delicate, high vocal underpinned by a floating lead guitar. The song is quite simply one of the most beautiful the band have recorded. "Words" continues in a similar vein, the mood being slightly lighter with a multi-tracked vocal on the main chorus. "Unborn/Turn around" is the second of the longer tracks. Here the rhythm section move things into slightly heavier territories, but the emphasis remains firmly on the strength of the melody. Gil's lead guitar harmonises with the lead vocal, the track developing all the while and driven on latterly by a marching drumbeat.

"Please go home" follows on from the band's cover of Marillion's "Chelsea morning" as a tribute to the late Polish music journalist Robert Roszak. Here we get our first chance to hear the wonderful violin of Satomi. The song is the most powerful on the album, Wróblewski's vocals being full of emotion while Gil's guitar prowess is unrestrained. The longest track on the album is the 11 minute "Heartless land", which brings together the moods of the tracks thus far in a slightly retro sounding synth based finale. Gil's lead guitar still prevails, complementing the fine vocal performance.

The album has an additional "hidden" track "The bright day" (not that well hidden though given that it appears in the track listing!). This is the only other song to feature the violin of Satomi, and makes for a pleasantly light coda to the album.

Overall, an excellent album from this highly accomplished Polish band. The changes from the previous album "World is round" are subtle rather than revolutionary. Nevertheless, "The warmest sun in winter" does see the band moving on, and is possibly their most progressive and most cohesive album to date. It is also good to see the guitar Mirek Gil being given such prominence throughout the album.

Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Reviewer
4 stars For some strange reason, although I have Believe's debut album 'Hope To See Another Day', which came out in 2006, I haven't heard any of their other releases until this their fifth studio album. Now, given that I have always enjoyed Mirek Gil's work (I am a huge fan of Collage, with Satellite not too far behind) that is a massive oversight on my part, and something that I will definitely need to do something about, and having now played this album a great deal just adds additional emphasis to that as this is superb. Laid back, with an almost Camel-esque feel to proceedings, this is a band where some songs seem to contain just one long guitar solo behind the vocals as Mirek provides incredible emphasis. There are times where he is more Gary Chandler than Andy Latimer, and his impact and contribution to this album cannot be understated.

This is all about atmosphere and melody, and contains some wonderful individual performances as each person adds their own finesse and skill to what is a beautifully crafted and polished album. Karol has a wonderful voice, and Konrad is a fine keyboard player who adds complex layers, but there is no doubt that this album belongs mostly to Mirek whether he is wrenching yet more sustain or simple almost Eighties style staccato notes out of his instrument. This is an album that is accessible the very first time it is played yet has hidden depths and it is only with repeated playing that the listener truly gets the most out of it. This really is the full package, as the well presented booklet containing the lyrics (all in English fits neatly in the digipak, and the music more than stands up to the quality of the presentation. Believe are yet another great Polish progressive rock band at the top of their game. www.believe.com.pl

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
4 stars I really have a soft spot for Mirek Gil, an accomplished fret slinger that has a hallowed reputation in the prog community, mostly for his Collage work as well as solo outings, participating in early Satellite albums as well as launching Believe. I really enjoyed the debut offering, a little less so for the sophomore and ended my fascination as I was spooked by the poor reviews and the average samples for the following two albums. Well, I am happy to report that I am back behind this Polish band's cause as 'The Warmest Sun in Winter' is perhaps their finest achievement to date, the musicians having finally found their peak moulding. Always solid rhythmically with Zawadski on bass and Tafel on drums, the guitar forever sublime, the main target of any concern was the keys and the vocals. Keyboardist Konrad Wantrych is now in a zone and Karol Wroblewski has a superb voice that fits much better with the mellower moods, a fine combination of Steve Hoggarth and Collage/Satellite's Robert Amirian. But these guys were already in place for 'The Bread is Mine' and 'World is Round', so what happened? Truth is that the material presented here is now finely chiseled with a greater attention to musical detail and sensitive impact. Believe has a rather restrictive romantic neo-prog style that needs and begs for sensible arrangements and high emotional delivery, or else it falls flat. Here, the ingredients are spot on and successful.

There is a strong spirit of creativity on their disc, it becomes evident straight from the beginning by naming the opener 'The End', a brief little appetizer with resonating guitar, delicate piano and brooding bass. Lullaby that would make Chopin proud, the tease is on! 'Beginners' wastes no time on impressing the listener, forcing them from casual interest into immediate aural obedience mostly due to Mirek's seductive guitar, a series of soaringly romantic notes that will tear at your heartstrings. Wroblewski's suave voice has both sonic crispness and emotional pretence, dancing around the curling guitar forays, a lead solo that is all Mirek Gil : guileless, trebly, shattering, trembling and exalted. His craft is closer to Latimer or Hackett, a sound that searches for simplicity and utter beauty above anything overtly technical. This is a tremendous track and a foreboding of what will be coming down the line. The title track is classic Believe, where a hushed vocal introduces a glorious melody, the fierce guitar shining brightly in its simplicity, all effect and no cause, we are in ultra-romantic neo-prog mode, a style I particularly admire. Gil uncorks a 'slowhand' solo that would make Eric smile, all feeling and passion. 'Words' just keeps the groove going, perhaps a little more accessible, quite close to Mr.Gil's debut 'Alone' album, a fine prog-pop song that has depth, meaning and memorability, coated with some definite symphonics (mellotron, piano, synths) , a rare bass ditty and s shrieking axe solo to boot. 'Unborn/Turnaround' showcases a little more experimentation, a slow riff builds up the required tension and it gets really hypnotic, tainted by some dense atmospheres. The track is all about restraint and patience, working effectively in getting the right mood for the day. A cute synth section bodes well for another Gil solo, at a slightly higher pitch, military snare drums leading the parade. 'Please Go Home' is a gut wrenching piece, with spirited vocals within a raging delivery , a musical discussion in sample (in Polish) and a whopper axe solo, gritty and insistent. The desperately repeated title hits the mark with unabashed rage. 'Heartless Land' is the epic finale, a piece that adds a lot more detail to the mix, leisurely infusing various sounds and tones into the overture, where an interesting muffled beat plays hide and seek with the bass and guitar, deliberately building up steam. Very groove- oriented and highly atmospheric, this is Believe at its best, with sweet and heavenly vocals warming the soul. The mid-section mellotron is carved up by Gil's massive fretwork, a colossal exercise that will stun the disbelievers (pun!) , the man is a guitar genius. There is a few minutes of silence and then 'the hidden track' which features former full time violinist Satomi , 'The Bright Day' is exactly that, a simple pop song with some sexy violin and a memorable chorus.

You better believe in Believe.

4 Sunny ideals

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Another solid album of melodic rock from a team of seasoned, gifted songwriters. My complaint is that their music is sounding less and less like prog--even Neo-prog--and more and more like A-B-A-C-A-B pop ballads. Also, while Mirek Gil's signature electric guitar sound remains, the fire and creativity of his soli are, IMHO, diminishing. If you look at his more recent output, the last two MR. GIL albums, and the last two BELIEVE albums, there are so few times that he really lets loose or hits any orgiastic moments. And yet, I must admit, I remain glued to the songs waiting, hoping--which says a lot for the allure, power and magic of this gifted musician/songwriter. While the singing of Karol Wróblewski continues to get stronger, the songs seem more and more to be vehicles for his mellifluous voice. Still, this is a grower--it gets under your skin the more you listen to it--especially and I'm thankful to be able to give a shout out for two songs in particular which satisfy my prog yearnings: "Please Go Home" (4:51) (10/10) with its wonderful, highly emotional story, lyrics, and vintage Mirek Gil guitar playing--as well as the support of violinist, Satomi--and the first 12 minutes of the two-part finale, "Heartless Land" (14: 46) (9/10).

3.5 stars rated down for being too formulaic and less prog-like.

Review by J-Man
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Although Believe has only existed for less than a decade, they've quickly become regarded as one of the elite acts in Polish progressive rock - and with their fifth album, 2013's The Warmest Sun In Winter, it has (once again) become apparent why. The band's atmospheric and moody style of neo-prog easily immerses its listener, but there is also a level of sophistication in both the songwriting and arrangements that sets Believe apart from the pack. Especially when listening to Mirek Gil's tremendous lead guitar work in tracks like "Please Go Home" and Karol Wróblewski's stunning vocal performance in "Beginners", it's clear that The Warmest Sun In Winter is the work of first-class musicians. This is the rare type of album that can provide either an engaging or soothing experience depending on the listener's mood, and this versatility makes for a very easy recommendation. The Warmest Sun In Winter is an essential pickup for any fan of neo-prog!
Review by ProgShine
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars The Warmest Sun In Winter (2013) is the 5th album of the Polish band Believe and once again released by Metal Mind Records. Metal Mind is one of the most important European labels and they have tons of releases every year, including many great bands and albums.

Believe was founded in 2004 and it's a case of bands that started playing by being influenced by the Neo Prog bands of the 80's and especially the 90's. Their sound can be easily targeted as Neo Prog but you cannot put them exactly within the golden era of Neo Prog, they're the 2000's definition of the sub-genre. Believe's current line-up includes Karol Wróblewski (vocals), Mirek Gil (guitars), Konrad Wantrych (keyboards and vocals), Przemas Zawaddzki (bass) and Vlodi Tafel (drums). The Warmest Sun In Winter (2013) was recorded in Mirek Gil's studio and produced by the band itself.

The album starts with an intro, and funnily enough is named 'The End'. Soon we move on to the second track 'Beginners' that started as a full layered ballad. You have clever guitar melodies and shy and smart keyboards. I have to say that when Karol's vocals come in they don't sound that good but he redeems himself in the chorus with great doubled vocals. But the high point here is the guitar by Mirek Gil.

The title-track 'The Warmest Sun In Winter' has a good solid bass line, but a bit monotonous overall. It's a 'common' song but it has very interesting moments towards the last verse with a different kind of melody. Mirek's guitars are the main force here once again, although the shy Konrad's keyboards appear in the last minute. One thing that bothers a bit is that Karol's vocals seems too 'robotic' due to the use of computer effects. Sometimes it lacks a bit of 'life'.

In the fourth track 'Words' keyboards are less shy and bring us a very good main melody. You also have the first very interesting moments of the drummer Vlodi Tafel. In fact, this track has a bit of every instrument. You also have an interesting bass solo round the middle with a different tone, more distorted. But overall, it is just an ok track cause it doesn't really go anywhere, despite the use of good Hammond organs. 'Unborn/Turn Around' has good 'flutes' right in the beginning, the intro is in fact a great one. Though I would have used a different drum beat in it. Vocals once again are weak with lots of effects or duplicated. At least until the second half when the song changes and Karol redeems himself once again with some amazing vocals followed by piano. I can sense a Peter Gabriel influence in this track.

'Please Go Home' starts as a lullaby that is soon followed by a 'heavy' bit. But the heaviness comes from the low bottom of the band, not from the guitars. Then we have the smartest move by the band, violins. Satomi comes as a special guest and add great colors to The Warmest Sun In Winter (2013). Second half of the song is weird, but in a good way, it includes an intersection with a Polish Radio DJ that is just great. A very good track.

Final track is 'Heartless Land'. Usually I don't like the bass sound of the 5 strings instrument as Przemas Zawadzki uses on the album. But here he uses it in a different and interesting way. The track is full of a dense atmosphere and the guitar bits are like flashlights in the dark. They have written a somber song and managed to fit some 'flutes' again. Then a hidden track comes in. It is called 'The Bright Day' and it's kinda short, with 2'30 minutes long. This track could be easily added to the album as the 8th track if it was a bit longer, once again the violins appear and they could have used it more.

With The Warmest Sun In Winter (2013) Believe achieved a solid album. Not a groundbreaking album but a strong and melodic one. If you're a Neo Prog fan this should be in your collection.

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

Review by kenethlevine
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog-Folk Team
2 stars While MIREK GIL is the unquestioned leader of BELIEVE, it seems to me that, where violinist Satomi goes so goes "Believe". Unfortunately, she is absent for all but a few sublime moments on "The Warmest Sun in Winter". To be honest, I'm not sure the string-less material is strong enough to be saved by her presence in any case.

I first heard most of these tracks at ROSfest in Gettysburg, PA earlier this year, and while I generally enjoyed the "sound" and the young look of their vocalist, I found that the composition and arrangements had become predictable. Let's see, start with a slow intro and bring in Wróblewski's warble for a fairly standard low energy verse-chorus pattern that overstays its welcome, and top it off with another Gil solo in precisely the same timbre as the last. Speaking of choruses, do you remember "Yesterday is a Friend"? There the choruses shimmered and, along with Satomi, electrified each tune. Keyboards were scarce but there was such a crispness to the soundscapes, one sorely lacking here, with a much thicker, actually viscous keyboard layering, and generally dreary choruses absent of any of the urgency we have grown to appreciate. If you are going to utilize conventional structures, you need a few hooks.

The main exception to the above is "Please Go Home", which should have been the warning sign at the concert, being the only new piece that really resonated with me. A concise statement of nerve wracking euphoria, it's perhaps the band's finest moment among many, and Satomi's accompaniment only adds to the brilliance.

This is essentially the same skilled band but they seem to have "settled" for the first time. As a result, while a warm sunny glow can be felt here and there, there's not enough of the old fire, especially not where it's needed.

Review by Tarcisio Moura
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars After the rather disappointing The Bread Is Mine (2009) I kind of lost touch with Believe music. I really though that Mirek Gil (Collage, Satellite) new band would go downhill from then on. But after reading some glowing review about their latest CD Six Widows I decided to give Believe another chance. And I was pleased to find out that World Is Round (2011) was much better than its predecessor, so I felt stimulated to listen to their latest releases. I must say I did not approach The Warmest Sun in Winter with the best spirits since one of Believe´s most appealing aspects (violinist Satomi) was only featured on two tracks. Satomi´s discreet but beautiful contributions with her instrument to this bands sound was almost as important as Gil´s unique guitar licks. So I was quite surprised to discover that this CD is one of their best.

Well, OK, it is different, but in a good way. At first I would agree with Kenneth Livine´s review that the songs did not seem to be that great, even boring sometimes, but after repeated spins I found them to be rather stronger and better than I initially though. The Warmest Of The Sun is definitely a grower: they often reveal themselves as a kind of more sparse and modern sounding version of Collage. Mirek Gil is surely the star of the show with his trademark fluid, melodic and expressive guitar solos, but it would be nothing if the songs were not up to the challenge. And they are all very good, although certainly also more demanding to the listener than the music of Collage and Satellite. I´ve been listening to this album non stop for the last two weeks and I still can´t have enough of it. Yes, for my taste I still think Collage and Satellite are better, but since neither band has delivered anything new lately, this is the best next thing. Besides, it looks like Believe finally found a sound of their own, which is really surprising. I´m really,k really happy they got rid of those grungy vocal lines. Karol Wróblewsk is a much better singer than Tomek Różycki. His vocal lines reminded of Robert Amirian´s (again the Collage/Satellite connection) . There are even some fine vocal harmonies that added to the great tapestry of their music. Subtle as the rest, but it is there.

The production is excellent and the tracklist is simply outstanding. My favorite track is the powerful Words, but there is no fillers here.

The Warmest Of The Sun restore my faith in Believe. One of the best CDs I heard this year, although it was released four years ago. So far so good! If you like fine melodies, subtle arrangements and beautiful Hackett-like guitar lines you should not miss this one. It might take a while to fully appreciate its richness, but you´ll be rewarded if you persist. A real nice finding!

Rating: 4,5 stars.

Latest members reviews

4 stars Emotional, melodic, sophisticated - 7.5/10 Another nice surprise found on progstreaming.com. "The Warmest Sun in Winter", the new album of Polish quintet Believe, stroke the right chord with me almost from first listen. I am a bit of sucker for both melancholic atmospheres and great vocals, and ... (read more)

Report this review (#976042) | Posted by lukretio | Tuesday, June 11, 2013 | Review Permanlink

5 stars I absolutely love this band, I have every album from them and dig them all, and this newest one might be the best yet, although I will admit to being just a bit disappointed that Satomi only plays on two tracks. Mirek's guitar playing is just fantastic throughout, besides being one of my favori ... (read more)

Report this review (#954093) | Posted by RJN | Saturday, May 4, 2013 | Review Permanlink

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