Withered Memento Mori
Lifeforce Records LFR 056 September 20th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Take a good, long look at the cover art for Memento Mori, and tell me you arent softened by its finesse. But as pretty as the artwork is, its quite deceiving because Withereds brand of death metal surely isnt hinted at by the albums beautiful encasing. So not only will you receive a pleasant eyeful with this debut, but youll glean an earful to match.
Perplexingly, Withered is an American band of musicians, though they sound as if they were schooled in Sweden. The seven songs, here, are more closely related to groups such as Hypocrisy, Centinex, and Amon Amarth than to any of their budding, homeland compadres. The running time juts past the thirty-five minute mark, which seems to be an adequate length for this type of metal venture. In addition, Memento Mori comes across as being focused on the right thing, namely execution. The instrument-wielders satisfy the listener to the point of fulfillment, and absolutely nothing about this full-length feels too overdone, underdone, or pell-mell. I also assert that there arent really any standout tracks on the recording; the whole package blends so well without ever losing consistency, which in turn makes it difficult for the frailties of one song to be morphed into the strengths of another. It might sound odd on paper, but rest assured that theres validity in there somewhere, I think.
From the outset of Memento Mori, I knew I was listening to something special. And, moreover, Im elated to find yet another quality act Withered residing within the confines of the ever-burgeoning metal scene. While the album didnt exactly thrill me to the point of being the catalyst for an incessant, fanboy-like praise session, the quartet have succeeded in the fact that the scale has been tipped overwhelmingly in favor of the pros, rather than the cons. Looks like Lifeforce Records has a rising star within their ranks, and Memento Mori is perhaps the first step to instantaneous solidification.
8/10
Official Withered Website
Official Lifeforce Records Website
Lifeforce Records LFR 056 September 20th, 2005
By Jason Jordan
Take a good, long look at the cover art for Memento Mori, and tell me you arent softened by its finesse. But as pretty as the artwork is, its quite deceiving because Withereds brand of death metal surely isnt hinted at by the albums beautiful encasing. So not only will you receive a pleasant eyeful with this debut, but youll glean an earful to match.
Perplexingly, Withered is an American band of musicians, though they sound as if they were schooled in Sweden. The seven songs, here, are more closely related to groups such as Hypocrisy, Centinex, and Amon Amarth than to any of their budding, homeland compadres. The running time juts past the thirty-five minute mark, which seems to be an adequate length for this type of metal venture. In addition, Memento Mori comes across as being focused on the right thing, namely execution. The instrument-wielders satisfy the listener to the point of fulfillment, and absolutely nothing about this full-length feels too overdone, underdone, or pell-mell. I also assert that there arent really any standout tracks on the recording; the whole package blends so well without ever losing consistency, which in turn makes it difficult for the frailties of one song to be morphed into the strengths of another. It might sound odd on paper, but rest assured that theres validity in there somewhere, I think.
From the outset of Memento Mori, I knew I was listening to something special. And, moreover, Im elated to find yet another quality act Withered residing within the confines of the ever-burgeoning metal scene. While the album didnt exactly thrill me to the point of being the catalyst for an incessant, fanboy-like praise session, the quartet have succeeded in the fact that the scale has been tipped overwhelmingly in favor of the pros, rather than the cons. Looks like Lifeforce Records has a rising star within their ranks, and Memento Mori is perhaps the first step to instantaneous solidification.
8/10
Official Withered Website
Official Lifeforce Records Website
