Wythersake from Washington, D.C., aren’t widely known yet. The band engage in the majestic form of black/death metal, appealing to those who seek pleasure in melodicism and dark atmospheres amid macabre, aggressive extremities. This particular style, originating from Limbonic Art, DimmuBorgir, and the Swedish melodeath scene, has found numerous imitators over the years – but let’s see what these representatives of the American underground have to offer.
“At War with Their Divinity” is Wythersake’s sophomore album, arriving four years after “Antiquity”. The band, without neglecting the extreme element (which, of course, remains their core), clearly emphasize the formation of atmosphere, using keyboards that add a theatrical, symphonic touch to the songs. They do this quite effectively; the synths deepen the sound, reaching even the verge of gothic romanticism in the short yet impressive opener, “Purity Through Non Existence” (a distant reminiscence of Paradise Lost’s classic era), which skillfully blends shifting tempos.
The album doesn’t reinvent the wheel (so don’t expect groundbreaking innovation here), drawing influence frommany acts that left a considerable impact on their respective genres. Wythersake, with songwriting that isn’t always particularly insightful, just make good use of their tools to deliver brutality and melody in equal measure. While not adventurous or especially sophisticated, they manage to attract the listener by blending melodicism with black and death metal ferocity, creating music that you might enjoy ona cold night – preferably with dim lighting.
Wythersake’s sound is macabre and dark, aligning well with their allegorically blasphemous lyrical concepts. They skillfully reveal different facets of their identity, resulting in an album far from monotonous. In some instances, the black metal element takes the lead, with tremolo-picked riffs evoking their Scandinavian origins (“Bloodlet the Lepers Created”). On the other hand,melodeath influences are more prominent, particularly on tracks like “Devour the Throne of Grace” and “The Autumnal Passing”. In any case, the band make a strong musical and lyricalstatement; their intensity and sinister tone shine through most vividly on the fast and relentlessly aggressive title track.
The guitar work varies from typical, sharp, extreme riffs to brooding, melodic passages, while many well-crafted solos -regardless of the character of each track- enrich the compositions, lending them an air of classic tradition. This approach, combined with the varied vocal delivery from Gabriel Luis (whose throat produces deep growls and piercing shrieks), shows that Wythersake have paid close attention to detail- and that’s a definite plus. Meanwhile, Salamanca’s drumming contributes to a dynamic totality through ahectic andprecise performance.
The symphonic section (resembling a church organ) in the relentless closer “Perverse Christ Aeon” provides a matching antithesis to the bombastic brutality that dominates the track. It feels like Wythersake’s effort to create something transcendent – something that would leave a mark. Indeed, their statement in the escalating violence of the final part is powerful, but even now, I sense that they haven’t yet revealed their full potential.
The album has its virtues -it balances ferocity and melodicism well, supported by a refined production-though it never quite takes off to reach a higher artistic level. As such, I doubt it will make a lasting impact on listeners in the long run. For now, it offers more than fifty minutes of pleasant, solid, blackened death metal.
♦ 7/10
Alex Nikolaidis
