Origin: Russia
Formed: 2008
Disbanded: 2012
Genre: Ambient / Depressive Black Metal
Status: Split‑up
Label: Rigorism Production
Themes: Depression, Winter, Battles
Howl was a short‑lived but remarkably prolific depressive black metal project from Mikhaylovsk, Sverdlovsk Oblast, driven entirely by the multi‑instrumentalist Winter Vampyr. Emerging in 2008, the project quickly became known for its raw emotional intensity, minimalist production, and a relentless release schedule that reflected both creative urgency and the solitary nature of the project. Howl’s sound blended cold ambient textures with repetitive, sorrow‑laden riffs and distant, anguished vocals—an aesthetic aligned with the Russian DSBM underground of the late 2000s, yet marked by a uniquely frigid, winter‑obsessed atmosphere.
The early EP Desolation and Perversion (2009) introduced the project’s core traits: lo‑fi recording, hypnotic guitar layering, and themes of psychological collapse. The same year, Landscapes of Mind expanded the project’s atmospheric dimension, incorporating long, meditative tracks that leaned heavily into ambient black metal. In 2010, Howl entered its most intense creative phase, releasing four full‑length albums—You, Far Away, Void Depths of Eternity, and Cold of Heavens. These works explored isolation, inner battles, and the metaphysics of winter, often through extended compositions that blurred the line between depressive black metal, dark ambient, and ritualistic repetition. Listeners and underground reviewers frequently noted the project’s emotional sincerity and the stark, unfiltered quality of its sound, which resonated strongly within niche DSBM circles.
The final release, the EP SCP‑87 (2012), hinted at a shift toward conceptual dark ambient, drawing inspiration from the SCP mythos and focusing on claustrophobic, oppressive soundscapes. After this release, Howl fell silent, and the project was eventually considered disbanded. Winter Vampyr continued to be an extremely active figure in the Russian black metal underground, contributing to dozens of projects across atmospheric, depressive, raw, and vampyric black metal subgenres. His death in 2023 marked the definitive end of Howl’s legacy, leaving behind a dense, emotionally charged discography that remains emblematic of Russia’s bleakest DSBM tradition.
Winter Vampyr – guitars, vocals (2008–2009); all instruments (2009–2012)
Unnamed – drums (2008–2009)
EPs
Desolation and Perversion (2009)
SCP‑87 (2012)
Full‑lengths
Landscapes of Mind (2009)
You (2010)
Far Away (2010)
Void Depths of Eternity (2010)
Cold of Heavens (2010)
Demos
Howling Night (2010)