ALBUM REVIEW: A Prelude To Sorrow – Witherfall
WITHERFALL return with their second album, A Prelude To Sorrow. The melodic power metal masters have taken the time to brood on and compose around the tragic loss of drummer Adam Paul Sagan, the band have even worked the poignant album title around his name. With such monumental talent and bittersweet rise to notoriety, what mixture of emotions and skill will be produced on this sophomore record?
Out titular track A Prelude To Sorrow begins with a simplistic riff, a trio of notes that lingers and haunts as layered vocals tell a tale of horror and grief. Setting the scene for the seamless onslaught of big guitar sounds and thrashing drums. We Are Nothing is an eleven minute, churning melodrama of stunning vocal ranges and tonal shifts, moving from symphonic to thrash to the hard rock of the late sixties and seventies. It’s almost impossible to keep up with the directions this track is going it. The most successful moments are in the lingering acoustics of the guitar, as the wailing and pain of the band emotes through as something powerfully poignant. The riffs are stand out, and through each sequence of the song it goes from strength to strength.
After the mammoth undertaking of the previous song, Moment Of Silence shows no sign of letting up. Rather, the direction takes an even more focused aim, condensing the storytelling into a closer time-frame. This only intensifies the riffs and the gradual tension.
Conversely, Communion Of The Wicked is much softer, taking a calm and lamenting moment to display a more dynamic start to their dark and brooding choruses. The riffs are, as usual, tight and impressive, while the main body of the track thunders as chugging guitars. It’s no surprise that this is a blow out mastery on all front, however the intruding nature of such an onslaught can be intimidating to the point of disconnectedness for the listener. Nevertheless, there’s a sense of intention behind the constricting and relaxing of the sound, that demonstrates a real emphasis to WITHERFALL’s work here.
Another swaying start for Maridian’s Visitation as lyrical journey through a mysterious composition of sweet guitars and melancholy tones. Much in the same way that DREAM THEATER commands your attention with wistful storytelling, so too to WITHERFALL in their venture into a theatrical expanse of sounds and ideas, all in the sake of audible narratives.
Shadows has as much punch, and a glimmer of glee in their wash of hateful melodies. All throughout the skilful playing and vast arrangements Steve Bolognese, takes the task of creating more dynamic use of drums than just a thrashing metronome. Matching the guitars tone for tone, adding stylistic inflections to the overall mass of sound on offer.
An insanely impressive Spanish style guitar shapes the Mediterranean roots of Ode To Despair. As a band, WITHERFALL is stupidly tight, and there’s no better player than Jake Dreyer to really give life to the lyrics. Turning his hand expertly to any and all styles, this allows the swell of emotions to gravitate to a powerhouse of a song.
This album is packed with technical wizardry, really cramming every possible moment with some mind-meltingly remarkable work. Those who enjoyed the bands debut will be pleased with what’s on offer here. However, through all the technicality, some of the true heart and feeling is lost. And there’s for sure plenty of raw emotion behind each track, with the sad passing of drummer Adam Paul Sagan, WITHERFALL are almost hiding behind their bold playing. WITHERFALL understand the impossible accuracy racing through the chaos of their songs, however some connection to the listener can be found in the moments when there’s nothing being sung, between the riffs and the rhythm.
Interlude The Call is the moment of cold reflection, just what we’re looking for; a waiting beast in the dark, as ghostly ambience gives way to echoing guitars on Vintage. The bookend to We Are Nothing, this eleven-minute piece is the highlight of what WITHERFALL can achieve. The lengthier of the tracks on this album really allow for the gradual build of sorrowful tension. Finally, we have the catharsis; rather than mentally racing with the band to keep up with where the track is going, we can latch on and fathom the direction. Vintage seeps in on an emotional level and captivates, rather than impresses and alienates.
Our closing track Epilogue could almost be from another band, it’s stripped back and raw delivery baring a more reserved side to WITHERFALL that might have been appreciated a little more in the overall album, but comes as a respectful end to this otherwise technically encumbered record.
The turmoil of WITHERFALL‘s chaotic, highly technical and dramatic performance is as impressive as ever. The band show they’ve the chops to create a visionary album in A Prelude To Sorrow, with many blistering highs and even darker lows. The brooding moments come in so many varieties you can hardly move for complex compositions. However, some more restraint to demonstrate the true mastery in their powerful playing would go a long way to give relief from this sometimes-overwhelming style.
Rating: 7/10
A Prelude To Sorrow is set for release on November 2nd via Century Media Records.
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