#witherscape

Favorite Records of 2016

4. Witherscape - The Northern Sanctuary

I’ve made it clear many times that I’m a Dan Swano fanboy. However, I’m not totally unobjective: for instance, I didn’t love the latest Nightingale record. However, I’ve been smitten with Witherscape since their debut, and their latest is everything I hoped it would be.

The Northern Sanctuary picks up where debut The Inheritance and The New Tomorrow EP left off, both musically and lyrically. The story is sort of King Diamond-esque, which is a big plus in my book. Musically, it’s a mash-up between Opeth-inspired progressive death metal and 70′s hard rock, which works so much better than you’d think. Guitarist Ragnar Widerberg pulls it all off beautifully, deftly switching between progressive riffing and hard rawk licks often in the same track.

But the star of the show is Swano, who handles all of the vocals. His death growls have long been among the very best in the genre, but his clean vocals have become their equal. It’s a gruff, bluesy howl that sounds like it comes straight out of some obscure, dust-covered rock record from the 70′s that reeks of denim and cheap swill.

This time, it’s only stuff that won’t be in the grid. 

Most music heard over the last few days will be represented therein.

Deap Vally - Femejism: Two tracks and pass.  It’s not that I have anything against this kind of overdistorted indie blues rock, but something about Deap Vally just leaves me so cold you could scrape me out of an ice bin and leave me to melt in the sink.

Necromancing the Stone - Jewel of the Vile: Come for the terrible puns.  Stay for the blistering speed metal.  The endless runs of triggered double-kick drums eventually belie the band’s ‘80s inspirations, but between the King Diamond soloing and “Big” John Williams’ clean and clear but not exactly powerful voice they maintain the illusion well.

Rïcïnn - Lïan: Sounds sort of like a woman singing over a metal band’s covers of modern-Hollywood-historical-epic and Danny Elfman soundtrack cues... except for when it does not.  Hell, the last song even sounds like an operatic diva singing a duet with some obsessing, far-off devil. Closer study is probably warranted.

"The Northern Sanctuary" by Witherscape

The Moshville Times – Interview: Dan Swanö of Witherscape and Unisound Studios

Here is a sample of the interview conducted by James. You’ve just about to release the new album, The Northern Sanctuary. Are you excited for it? Hell yeah! It’s the best metal album I have been a part of, so yeah, I am excited! With regards to the recording of the album, was it done any differently to the previous album? The recording itself was pretty similar. I did the drums at my place in…