ALBUM REVIEW: Wither – Lord Almighty
Boston’s LORD ALMIGHTY are a band that have, since their self-titled 2013 EP, consistently produced some of the most eclectic and impressive extreme metal within the US’s brilliant underground scene. Taking a fierce and melodic brand of black metal and coupling this with a fantastic mix of thrash, doom and hard rock, the band have an incredibly diverse and imaginative sound that has only gotten tighter and more impressive with each subsequent record they put out. Their second album, Wither, is arguably the band’s best work to date, expertly merging their catchier and more progressive sides, resulting in a solid contender for album of the year.
Cry of the Earth is an unflinchingly aggressive, speed-driven track with chaotic drumming, razor sharp guitars and bellicose, throaty vocals all making for an incredibly tight, melodic take on black metal that does a great job of being catchy without sacrificing any of the songs more grating qualities, setting a lofty bar for the rest of the album to surpass. Sundown has a more rhythmic and hazy sound, coupling groove-laden drums with dark guitar hooks, with a few moments of bestial intensity adding a great counterpoint to the chunkier moments, resulting in a doom inflected slab of black metal. Mercy, a short, sharp shock of abrasive guitars, energetic drums and coarse, acerbic vocals, does a lot in a short space of time, with the guitars taking on an imaginative, epic edge, tinged with thrash, which helps this song to be instantly memorable.
Rise initially departs from the formula of the first three offerings, with cleaner guitar tones and a noticeably subdued, sublime sound, that provides a great change of pace, contrasting starkly with the jarring, frenetic black metal that dominates the songs latter half. The short, percussion orientated V serves as a brief interlude, and leads straight into Despite, an exceptionally powerful and effective affair centred upon bleak guitars and gravelly vocal deliveries, which give this song a melancholic, morose sound with some minimalist, sludgy leads with a confident hard rock swagger that’s only been alluded to so far, giving this song, and album, even more musical depth.
Stifled, another brief, instrumental piece with murky, sparse guitars and equally opaque, spoken word passages, sets up the following track, Adrift, quite well. This track is bombastic, with huge, meaty guitars, thunderous drums and a thicker bass sound making for a gargantuan sound, contrasted by the acidic, animated nature of the vocals, which pierce the warmer feel of the music like a rusty shard, adding a discordant aspect to the track. Hour By Hour sees the guitars become far more adventurous, with a lighter sound from the rhythms and slick, polished leads. The generous use of riffs and sudden changes in tone and pace do a lot to keep this song interesting, with a lively, hard rock inspired solo injecting plenty of life into the music, making this song punchier than much of what has preceded it.
Wither maintains the grandiose sound of the previous song, but opts for a weightier sound, with muscular guitars and a substantial bass sound giving this a heavier feel. The cacophonous elements within the LORD ALMIGHTY sound return again, juxtaposing the more measured moments and shifting seamlessly between the black and doom metal influences, and the fantastic acoustic motif that brings this song to a close, extremely well. Hooded Three is an excellent, slow burning track that really ups the ante when it comes to the atmospherics, with the guitars encompassing a variety of musical tropes without simply rehashing what earlier offerings did. Haunting leads vie with forceful, primal thrash riffs, with a liberal dose of doom and some borderline post-rock flourishes, making this song not only the best, but also the most eclectic, to feature on this album.
It’s often hard for bands to create music that is simultaneously catchy and progressive. LORD ALMOGHTY are one of the few bands that have managed to perfectly balance these two, with this album being every bit as diverse and intriguing as it is punchy and memorable. There’s little, if anything, on this record that could be described as filler, and each song contributes to making the overall album as impressive as it is. Comparing this album with Paths, it’s clear that the song writing and production quality have improved, and although it’s slightly less progressive than its predecessor, the excellent musicianship on all fronts on this record acts as a good replacement, with this album being easily the bands most enduring statement to date.
Rating: 8/10
Wither is out now via self-release.
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