As the winter solstice arrives, TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson and Canadian Celtic songstress Leah are revealing a brand new symphonic metal track, “Winter Sun“.

Featuring soaring soundscapes, blazing guitar solos and ethereal, operatic vocals, the track sounds like it could have taken weeks to complete. In reality, “Winter Sun” was written and recorded in three days by incorporating app technology.

“Winter Sun” was recorded by five musicians between three different countries, so in order to quickly communicate internationally for free and have the track released by the holidays, the group incorporated the cross-platform communications app WhatsApp to pen the track.

“Winter Sun” is performed by Eric Peterson (guitars and percussion) and Leah (vocalist, piano, harp and keys), featuring guest musicians Alex Bent (drums), Tilen Hudrap (bass), and Lyle Livingston (additional keys).

Bent and Hudrap performed with TESTAMENT this year at Heavy Montreal, and all three gentlemen perform on the upcoming DRAGONLORD album, “Dominion” (Livingston is a full-time member of the band).

“Winter Sun” is a delicate blend of Peterson‘s melodic side of his thrash metal background and Leah‘s Celtic metal fusion.

This song is all about balance, with Peterson‘s signature guitar-playing style right up front and center, yet complimentary to Leah‘s feminine vocals.

The song later takes a surprise change of pace in which the listener will experience less of a holiday-type vibe, and more of the original styles of each artist: haunting operatic choirs and full heavy metal; no compromises.

In 2013, Eric Peterson and Leah first displayed their prowess as a songwriting duo with the track “Dreamland“.

(via Blabbermouth)