There's a reason that Folie Circulaire, the latest release from Atlanta's Withered, has been one of the most anticipated extreme metal releases this year. After all, the band have a pretty intense and unique sound, as they combine complex arrangments (sort of like Mastodon at times) with sludge ridden doom and moments of furious black metal chaos. You can hear it all on the insane "The Fated Breath", with jackhammer blast beats battling rapid fire riffs and a mix of hardcore shouts and black metal shrieks, every so often interrupted by slow, grinding doomish chords. This sort of 'back and forth, this way and that way' style continues on throughout the album, breakneck numbers like "Dichotomy of Exile" and the pulsating "Gnosis Unveils" revealing a band that has seemingly outgrown their punk and grind roots and morphed into one extreme and progressive monster. That progressive element really comes into play on "Purification of Ignorance", a dark & complex number that combines ISIS styled post rock with early Rush dynamics, while the band moves into crazed blast beat fury on the black metal juggernaut "Reveal The Essence of Suffering", a near 7-minute beast that has many twists and turns.
With splendid artwork from the famed Paul Romano (Mastodon, Trivium, Nasum, The Red Chord, etc) adorning the classy booklet, Folie Circulaire is a powerful statement from Withered, signaling that their arrival is certainly here and now.
Track Listing
1. To Embrace 1:41
2. The Fated Breath 4:54
3. Dichotomy of Exile 5:36
4. Gnosis Unveils 6:52
5. The Forsaken Truth 1:49
6. Purification of Ignorance 5:14
7. Drawn Black Drapes 3:43
8. Reveal The Essence of Suffering 6:54
9. Clamor Beneath 4:59
10. Into Armageddon 4:27
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