Witherscape - The Inheritance - review
Witherscape - The Inheritance - review
Tracklist
01. Mother Of The Soul02. Astrid Falls [feat. Eddie Risdal]
03. Dead For A Day
04. Dying For The Sun [feat. Joel Selsfors & Paul Kuhr]
05. To The Calling Of Blood And Dreams
06. The Math Of The Myth
07. Crawling From Validity
08. The Wedlock Observation [feat. Eddie Risdal, Morten Jørgensen & Paul Kuhr]
09. The Inheritance
10. Last Rose Of Summer [Judas Priest cover] [Mediabook bonus]
11. A Cry For Everyone [Gentle Giant cover] [Mediabook bonus]
A review by
R'Vannith August 13, 2013
There is a concept supposedly fixing the album's components yet it seems neatly curtailed or made an underlying thread which isn't essential to the record's appreciation. An emphasis on the cleans of Swanö and guest vocalists do bring one's attention back to the tale being told (one concerning the inheritor of an estate in 19th century Sweden) as they fulfill their roles spread album wide before The Inheritance receives a reappraisal in the collective vocal effort "The Wedlock Observation." Placed toward the album's end there is an obvious focus on this track to bringing the theme to the listener's attention before its cessation.
Each track is distinctive with inbuilt fluctuation not sacrificing the flow and the album can be enjoyed without thematic dependence as it isn't overly complicated in terms of the integration of a story and it doesn't alienate those who are just listening for the quality of music. It pulls you into a sequence of memorable songs which owe more stylistically to an extreme edge of progressive metal than to death metal.
The way of ending many of the album's pieces with a sudden termination disrupts the neatly established flow somewhat yet also seems to enhance or announce, prior to a brief pause, the arrival of the coming transition to a new track. "Dying For The Sun" will have you fooled in that regard as silence ensues toward its end before surprising with a final growl.
Much of the creativity is housed within the initial stages as "Dying For The Sun", for example, shifts through a staggering range of varied passages from its first strums initially laid bare then enhanced with keyboard effects and a sullen repetition of the track's title, all of which slowly fades to reveal a left to right guitar crunch whilst cleverly maintaining a resolute rhythm. And that's just getting things started. Plus it features some ye olde "Moog" synth work, assuredly giving it that authentic progressive rock feel.
The impressionable sense of melody is best felt in tracks like "Dead For A Day", one of those songs whose riffs and growled chorus live long in the memory after the album's end. To aid recollection the keyboards hold a prominent role, especially on "The Math Of The Myth" with its clapping of hands to place added emphasis on the quick beat.
An expected level of quality is assured with such a respected musician playing a formative role and this level is easily maintained with the wealth of ideas in The Inheritance.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Comments
Comments:
16
Visited by
371 users
|
Posts: 3649  |
Posts: 3649
"An expected level of quality is assured with such a respected musician playing a formative role and this level is easily maintained with the wealth of ideas in The Inheritance." I completely agree. While this album didn't exactly blow me away, I do think Dan Swanö always guarantees some quality material.
---- I hate bonus tracks
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 2589  |
Posts: 2589
This has caught my attention especially the inclusion of the Gentle Giant cover. sounds like it will be good.
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 1334 |
|
 Posts: 3099 |
Posts: 3099 Written by Mattybu on 14.08.2013 at 02:24 I should have mentioned it in the review but that cover was a really good choice. One of GG's edgiest tunes and I've gotta say they do brilliant interpretation of it! The Priest cover was an interesting choice too, sounds very nice though.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 3472 |
Posts: 3472
Does Swano use his deep singing voice on this?
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 2589 |
Posts: 2589 Written by R'Vannith on 14.08.2013 at 05:03 Awesome. It's one of my favourite Gentle Giant songs. I really want to hear this now.
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 57 |
|
|
Posts: 66  |
Posts: 66
I'm a big fano of Swano. I was really looking forward to this, but... then I sort of forgot about it entirely. I need to check this out pronto.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 669 |
Posts: 669
Fresh ideas, quality, balance, this album has it all. Thanks for the review. 
Loading...
|
| Posts: 3472 |
Posts: 3472 Written by HitokiriNate85 on 14.08.2013 at 16:53 But is it his deeper voice (the one he used on Therion's Theli)?
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
Loading...
|
| Posts: 3099 |
Posts: 3099 Written by M C Vice on 15.08.2013 at 10:20 He doesn't use clean vocals that deep, no.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 5289 |
Posts: 5289
Dunno about this release. Production is kinda shaky to me and the cleans remind me of Symphony X which is ok if I wanted a straight prog album. Weird because right now there are two people across the pond that I usually love anything associated with them: Jari Lindholm & Dan Swano.
---- rekt
Loading...
|
 Posts: 6212 |
Posts: 6212
As much as I love Dan Swano, this one fails to incite any warm feelings in me. Perhaps I should give it more than two chances.
Loading...
|
 Posts: 6101 |
Posts: 6101 Written by Daniell on 15.08.2013 at 21:15 Third times a charm?
---- ~Zep, Former Database and Forum Moderation~ 
Loading...
|
|
Posts: 9  |
Loading...
|
 Posts: 64480 |
Posts: 64480
I like the way you speak about this one, but I disagree about gothic atmosphere , here is some atmosphere but not gothic, anyway brilliant masterpiece
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
|
Hits total: 8774 | This month: 5