Showing posts with label Withering Soul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Withering Soul. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Withering Soul/Last Contact/Mortal Music/2021 Full Length Review

 


  Chicago,  Illinois's  Withering  Soul  has  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  the  music  going  for  more  of  a  melodic  style  of  blackened  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2021  album  "Last  Contact"  which  will  be  released  in September  by  Mortal  Music.


  A  very  dark  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.  When  the  music  speeds  up  a  lot  of  blast  beats  can  also  be  heard  along  with  the  vocals  also  adding  in  a  mixture  of  death  metal  growls  and  black  metal  screams  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.


  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  decent  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  solos  and  leads  are  also  done  in  a  very  melodic  style.  Tremolo  picking  is  also  added  into  some  of  the  faster  riffing  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  album.


  One  of  the  tracks  is  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  music  also  moving  away  from  the  gothic  elements  that  where  more  present  on  their  previous  releases  as  well  as  one  track  also  introducing  clean  playing  onto  the  recording,  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  melodic  vocals  can  also  be  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  communications  between  the  living  and  the  deceased.


  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  album  from  Withering  Soul  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  melodic  and  blackened  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  recording.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Allergy  Of  The  Void"  "Ascent  To  Madness"  and  "Uncharted  Course".  8  out  of  10.



https://witheringsoul.bandcamp.com/ 

https://www.facebook.com/witheringsoulband 


https://youtu.be/q9HanvXiWlw


  


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Withering Soul/Adverse Portrait/Mortal Music/2015 CD Review


  Withering  Soul  are  a  band  from  Chicago,  Illinois  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  melodic  form  of  black  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2015  album  "Adverse  Portrait"  which  will  be  released  in  June  by  Mortal  Music.

  Avant  garde  sounds and  synths  start  off  the  album  along  with  some  melodic  guitar  leads  a  few  seconds  later  that  dominate  throughout  the  recording  and  after  the  intro  the  music  gets  a  lot  more heavier  while  still  using  melodies  as  well  as  adding  blast  beats  into  certain  sections  if  the  recording  and  grim  black  metal  screams.

  Throughout  the  recording  there  is  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and fast  parts  and  the  band  also  mixes  the  melodic  styles  of  black  and  death  metal  together  and  the  music  also  bring s in  deep  growls  and  times  along  with  a  great  amount  of  symphonic  elements  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  use  a  small  amount  of  clean  singing  vocals  which  also  gives  the  music  more  of  a  gothic  atmosphere  and  some  of  the  heavier  riffs  also  show  an  influence  of  thrash  and  as  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  is  added  onto  a  couple  of  tracks  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  and  there  are  also  a  couple  of  tracks  that  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Withering  Soul  creates  a  melodic  black  metal  album  that  also  incorporates  a  decent  amount  of  symphonic  elements  along  with  some  goth,  thrash  and  death  metal  influences  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Ghosts,  Horror,  The  Paranormal  and  Death  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Withering  Soul  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "No  Longer  Within"  "Hour  Of  Obstinacy"  and  "In  Absence".  8  out  of  10.

www.facebook.com/witheringsoulband

 

   

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Withering Soul Interview


1. Can you update us with what is going on with the band these days?



The last year we took a little break from playing live shows to take some personal time. It is only healthy for a band to “recharge”. That also gave me a chance to save up some money and upgrade my home studio. We’re rehearsing again full-time now, and we have about 8-9 songs almost ready for our next album, which I hope doesn’t take another five years to come out. *Haha*



2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new album?



We pretty much take in our favorite elements of different genres and melt it all down. On the surface, you would probably hear Symphonic Black Metal. But after listening to No Closure, you can hear other influences, whether it is the harmony and precision of Melodic Death Metal, the otherworldly atmospheres of Dark Wave, and even the upfront catchiness of Traditional Metal. We try to keep it diverse, but let it flow consistently all the same.



3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?



Our lyrical topics are basically a flipside of the norm. They cover subjects that many people are unlikely to discuss or engage in a conversation about. For example, there is much below the surface of the world we live in. We like to address themes and ideas that people tend to ignore and pretend are not there.



4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the band’s name?



The name Withering Soul, for us, serves as a metaphor for the relationship between the present and the future. Living everyday can be a difficult struggle, but nobody really knows what comes next. While we are alive, we are constantly striving for something, but most never find it.



5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?



Playing direct support for Dark Funeral and Enslaved was definitely one of our proudest moments. It was an amazing bill and we had a very ecstatic crowd. Gothicfest 2005 was also a nice memory. I hope that every new experience becomes our best experience. Our performances have always been very animated and on the theatrical side. It’s a concept that we hope to expand on when we have a bigger budget.



6. Do you have any touring plans for the new releases?



We’re looking into some possible tours for later this year, but also with a focus on getting on a few festivals. However, nothing has been confirmed at the moment.



7. Currently you are signed to Mortal Music, how did you get in contact with this label and how would you describe the support that they have given you so far?



The founders of Mortal Music took an interest in us years prior, and paid attention to what we were doing. When we recorded No Closure and gave them a demo copy, they liked what they heard and the discussions began. The support has been phenomenal, and they have opened up opportunities that we did not have before. We’re extremely happy to be a part of the Mortal Music family.



8. On a worldwide level, how has your music been received by symphonic black metal and melodic death metal fans?



I gotta say that our fanbase is pretty diverse. Our music is versatile enough that we have been able to share the stage with many different types of bands…anywhere from Gore Grind to Goth. The overall response has been very positive. We’re just going to keep making the type of music that we enjoy and hope that more will appreciate it.



9, Are any of the band members currently involve with any side projects, or is this a full time line-up?



Mykil and I actually had been tinkering with an Industrial side project called “Psyclone”. Kind of a futuristic and gritty electronica mixed with heavy guitar riffs. That project has been put on hold to focus our efforts on WS. Perhaps it will be revived in the near future, when we have some down time.



10. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases?



I think our style of music will stay pretty consistent for now, with the exception of a few unexpected twists. Our fans can expect every album that we write to sound like a Withering Soul album, but we will try to keep it fresh and interesting.



11. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music, and also what are you listening to nowadays?



We try to expand our tastes as much as possible, however for me personally, my heart will always belong to Metal. As a kid I grew up on the classics, such as Black Sabbath, Slayer, Maiden & Metallica. In the mid 90’s, I eventually shifted over to the European/Death Metal scene. Bands like My Dying Bride, Morbid Angel, Emperor, and Carcass really opened my mind to the darker and extreme variety. As for Non-Metal, I’ve recently been listening to a lot of Porcupine Tree, The Birthday Massacre, and Wojciech Kilar. I lump most of my music into two categories; good & bad.









12. What role does the paranormal and occult play in your music, and how would you describe your views on these topics?



It is pretty much the foundation of our music. When developing our lyrical content, we wanted to write about darker natured themes, but we didn't want to focus on religion as much per se. We want our music to be entertaining as well as intriguing. We've all grown up on good old-fashioned ghost stories. I’m not going to testify that I have had any direct experiences myself, but I've taken the thrill of visiting allegedly haunted locations before, and must say that they are fun to explore if you’re a History buff like me. We're also a bunch of book worms when it comes to that stuff. It's a morbid fascination that I don't think I'll ever grow out of!



13. Outside of music, what are some of your interests?



My girlfriend and I like to travel. So far, it has been mostly modest vacations and road trips to obscure destinations in the US. Door County, WI, is a beautiful place to visit during the summer and it is very affordable. I usually enjoy simple pleasures, such as jogging outdoors (which I can’t really do much in the winter) and cooking. I’ve found out that (almost) everything tastes good when you add garlic.



14. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?



Thank you for conducting this interview and we look forward to hearing from you again. Cheers!

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Withering Soul/No Closure/Mortal Music/2011 CD Review


 Withering Soul are a band from Chicago, Illinois that plays a very symphonic form of black metal mixed with melodic black/death and this is a review of their 211 album "No Closure" which was released by Mortal Music.

Drums range from slow, mid paced to fast drumming with a lot of brutal blast beats, while the keyboards are very atmospheric and atmospheric sounding,as for the bass playing it has a very dark tone with riffs that follow the riffing that is coming out of the guitars and at times they sound very powerful.

Rhythm guitars range from slow, mid paced to fast black metal riffing that is also very melodic and utilizes influences from both death metal and traditional metal, while the lead guitars are very melodic sounding metal guitar solos.

Vocals are mostly high pitched black metal screams mixed in with some deep death metal growls and some clean singing mixed in with a short use female vocals, while the lyrics cover Ghosts, the Paranormal, and Horror, as for the production it has a very professional and heavy sound to it.

In my opinion Withering Soul are a very good melodic, gothic, symphonic black metal band, and if you are a fan of this style, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Phantasmal Chaos" "Sadistic Redress" and "Lifeless They Lie". RECOMMENDED BUY.


www.witheringsoul.com