CD Review: Withering -- Gospel of Madness

Written by tinfoil on Tuesday, 15 March 2005 01:23

When first told of this CD by a friend of the band, I was expecting true Death Metal, fast and sometimes incomprehensible. However, Andy has yet to disappoint so I petitioned the band for a disc. Ok, so in fact, this was the first disc Andy has recommended but Im not going to split hairs.

When compared to many other Death Metal bands, one thing stands out within the first minutes of the CD: Withering is nothing like them. Theirs is a deliberate, melodic and carefully planned assault. Its not about break-neck, or rather break-wrist, double picking or kick drums so fast that each beat seemingly melds together to form a solid sound. Its about powerful rhythm backing tailored lead tracks and guttural vocals.

Anguish of Frustration will make hardcore Speed Metal addicts much more at home, but that is the one song where the tempo enters into allegro territory with the rest somewhat more subdued, even slow when compared. On Deaths Colour starts out acoustically and continues on the walking pace established from the onset in Northern Breeze.

Of course other bands have tried this before and have succeeded with varying levels of success. Yours truly, however, is not a Death Metal connoisseur and my library of this genre consists of few discs represented by the likes of Sepultura, Slayer, Lamb Of God and In Flames. That being said, I knows what I likes and I likes this. If I had to rate this disc, and I do, I would have to give this one an 8/10. At times it borders on repetitive, but when it sounds this good one has to forgive that somewhat.

Official Withering Homepage.

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