ALBUM REVIEW: Witnesses – (EchO)

Since 2007, Italian quartet (ECHO) have established themselves as solid producers of atmospheric death-doom through three full-length releases and a handful of demos and live activities. Here on studio album number four, the Brescian band hone in on the bleakness of the world over the past few years and channel it into a daunting and hard-hitting collection of tracks for Witnesses.

Whilst it is not a concept album in itself, frontman and lyricist Fabio Urietti reveals that he drew his inspiration from the distress and overall feeling the whole band had during those strange and alienating days of the pandemic. Ultimately, this makes for a bleak and confronting listening experience, with all of the hallmarks of the death-doom genre present and correct, front and centre, and doled out in chunky servings that get heads banging and faces stankified. 

Right from the outset of the first track proper, Laudanum is a rousing and stirring track that brings a full-bodied richness; from the crystalline cymbals chiming through the maelstrom, via the weighty riffs on offer, and through to the dual-aspect roared vocals of Urietti and guest vocalist Alexander Högbom (OCTOBER TIDE). Fate Takes Its Course follows in similar fashion and displays (ECHO)’s talent for injecting atmosphere into their signature heavy sound. It also brings us our first glimpse of clean vocals on the album which bring a sense of textured balance.

My Covenant shows a different side entirely; bringing Heike Langhans (:LOR3L3I:, ex-DRACONIAN) into the mix, the song is a far more melodic affair. While it does eventually devolve back into roars and growls, the opening three-quarters steadily build toward this climax and prove once again how deft the band are when it comes to layering and mounting tension. In fact, much of the back half of the record is a lower-key iteration of the band, with Langhans returning on penultimate track Chemical, and album closer Saturated is Witnesses’ longest entry, taking its sweet time to deliver as much sonic brutality as possible via every trick in their arsenal.

A weighty record worthy of its genre tags, Witnesses’ only entry coming in under the six-minute mark is a sub-minute atmospheric intro. Otherwise, the whole record runs in the six to seven-and-a-half minute realm. That alone may be nothing out of the ordinary, but (ECHO)’s mastery of their craft means that the full 47-ish minutes of Witnesses at no point feel cumbersome or challenging. There is a fantastic management of time and pace that results in an album that is very easy to hit repeat on.

While it may be some time before we see the end of pandemic-influenced albums, it’s tough to complain when they go as hard as Witnesses. Another top notch release not just in the pantheon of stellar 2022 releases, but also for (ECHO) in particular, this is a crowning achievement in the band’s output to date. 

Rating: 8/10

Witnesses is set for release on November 25th via Black Lion Records.

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