Style: power/progressive metal
Thoughts: I only found about this band recently. Their album A Prelude to Sorrow blew me away, so I had to get another one. Nocturnes and Requiems is their debut album and it kicks all sorts of ass.
While not as strong as their second opus, Nocturnes and Requiems still showcases the same prowess for creating excellent music. The riffs, the song structures, the vocals, the tasteful drumming, everything contributes to the album as a whole.
One of the things that initially drew me to this band is how well they create songs that sound like stories - not just lyrically but also musically. That is exactly what is on display throughout the entirety of Nocturnes and Requiems. The riffs weave throughout each other to create this musical tapestry that tells a narrative.
The song structure is the key contributor to this effect. The riffs individually are excellent, but the way that they are chained together and how they ebb and flow is what differentiates this band from so many others. They know how to write h e a v y yet complex riffs. These same riffs will some the same technical prowess as many prog bands, but they will actually be enjoyable to listen to. Do you know how hard it is to create a musical hook in a progressive metal song? Judging by how few bands do it, I think that it's safe to say that it's pretty difficult.
The narrative spoken by both the vocals and the music on Nocturnes and Requiems is dynamic. It oscillates between lengthy acoustic sections, neo-classical riffing, and of course the ultra heavy riffs that were described earlier. Each song is a miniature epic that sweeps me up in it's narrative.
Witherfall has been a glorious find in my metal collection. I want to try and get some more of their discography in my collection. The two albums I have are absolutely outstanding and warrant multiple listens on every trip tot he turntable. Possibly one of the better new (to me) bands I've come across in a long while.
No comments:
Post a Comment