Withering Soul – No Closure

Are you a big fan of Dimmu Borgir and want to know every band that plays in veins of those Norwegians? If the answer is positive then the new album by the US outfit Withering Soul is definitely worth your attention. But if you're not interested in another symphonic black metal band with ok-ish material then you can easily move on further.

Right from the intro you get a very good impression of what to expect on this record. Dark synth passages that are supposed to be haunting but don't quite succeed in their mission blend into more intense riffs that sound intense before getting spoiled by the same synths. And that's how the whole album evolves: an intense riff catches your ear only to blend into a typical sympho-black passage a la Dimmu Borgir and the likes. Well, not to say that the music is bad because it would be wrong. All the instruments are well played and the arrangements suit the music perfectly. The only problem is that the music gets really generic and cheesy too often in order to enjoy this record to its full.

Withering Soul could have a much more interesting album if the guys would take the risk of exploring more new ground rather than sticking to the standards of the genre. Because, albeit being generally good, the music sounds like if it were written in the mid 1990's. Yet, if you really like this period in black metal history and want a new interpretation of the good old stuff then “No Closure” will suit you just fine.

1. Night Of The Revenant
2. Phantasmal Chaos Divinity
3. The Sequitor
4. Tides Of The Accursed
5. Possession Of Deception (Part 2)
6. Sadistic Redress
7. Manifest Transparency
8. Lifeless They Lie
9. Unquiet
10. A Requiem Of Sorrow
Reviewer: twansibon
May 11, 2011

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