It’s been a minute since I’ve reviewed a Frontiers curated supergroup. Elaborating upon that last point, it’s been a minute since I’ve reviewed a Frontiers curated supergroup that has piqued my interest as much as Withering Scorn. Unlike most star-studded projects on this label which consist of Alessandro Del Vecchio and friends (Love ya Ale!), Withering Scorn is a full metal affair if there ever was one. We’ve got co-founding Fates Warning bassist Joe DiBiase, former Metalium singer Henning Basse, and the brothers Drover of Eidolon and Megadeth fame, Glen on guitars and Shawn on drums. Together, these four veterans make up Withering Scorn.
Upon first listen of their debut album, Prophets of Demise, Withering Scorn channels a rather unique moment in metal history. While it is a traditional metal album through and through, by no means is it a throwback to the glory days of the 80s. No, Prophets of Demise comes off like a late 90s/early 00s private press traditional metal album; one of those lost treasures you’d find for 50 cents at your local Goodwill and beg the question: Why were so many people wasting their time with *insert D grade Ozzfest parking lot stage band here* when this existed?
Prophets is a surprisingly dark album by Frontiers standards, established off the bat with its opening title track. The guitar riffs are crushingly heavy and the overall atmosphere is bleak and brooding, reminiscent of Nevermore and the 90s output of DiBiase’s former band, Fates Warning. From there, we’re served a one-two punch of Painkiller era Priest worship in “The Vision” and “Pick Up the Pieces”. Basse screams with the urgency of prime Halford, while the Drover brothers feed off of each other’s musical aggression, pushing their respective performances to the limit.
As Prophets progresses, so does the music itself. Cuts like “Ancient Desire” and “Never Again” lumber around with abysmally doomy riffage and cryptic unease akin to Mob Rules era Sabbath. On the flipside of this coin are thrashers like “Dark Reflection” and “Dethroned”. The former is a wicked thrash/groove/power amalgamation, complete with a Lamb of God-esque breakdown, guttural vocals and all. The latter, on the other hand, is perhaps the most retro cut on the album, speeding along like it’s 1984. The violence is there, but so are honest to goodness hooks and melody straight out of the NWOBHM.
Par the course for most metal releases in general these days, Withering Scorn saves the most ambitious for last in the lengthy “Eternal Screams”. I’m not sure how I feel about this heavy doom suite, as it didn’t immediately grip me in the manner of old Sabbath and Cirith Ungol epics, but it doesn’t take away from what is most certainly an intriguing affair. Prophets of Demise is a fresh take on an oft-forgotten niche. If I close my eyes, I imagine myself catching this band playing a 20 minute slot at a Milwaukee Metal Fest circa ’98. Hell, with MMF since rebooted, perhaps Withering Scorn will make the bill next year.
7 out of 10
Label: Frontiers Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Nevermore, Judas Priest, Metal Church