Wither Away - I Won't Find Hope In You - Album Review

Wither Away - I Won’t Find Hope In You - Independent

Track List:

1. April (Spring Is Coming)

2. Kagune (Ruin Me)

3. Shadow Form

4. I Won’t Find Hope In You (Feat. Ricky Armellino of HAWK) - Single

5. The Town Where Only I Am Missing

6. Persona (Feat. Hotel Books)

7. Dark Room

8. Cherish Your Friends - Single

9. Stigmatized

10. Your Name.

After four years, Reading PA's Wither Away has returned with an ambitious follow-up to their debut EP. This time, they demand to be heard, and I recommend you listen. 

Right away, an interesting note when it comes to the visual representation of Wither Away, in most cases since the start of the band, a pagoda has been a strong structure utilized in their first singles to their debut EP 'The Words We Live By, The Actions We Don't Take.' But now, on the cover of 'I Won't Find Hope In You,' the pagoda is set ablaze. Is it now a symbol of the desecration of inner peace, the destruction of what we believe is valuable in this world, or destroying that part of you that was holding you back? 

It's challenging to put Wither Away into a musical category because they utilize multiple genres very well. At times, there are flashes of an emo-rock band, melodic post-hardcore, or even alternative rock. But what does it all really mean? Really, it means they're comfortable making whatever music they want, and it shows in IWFHIY. From the instrumentation moving from melodic to aggressive to the clean (singing) vocals to out of nowhere uncleans (screams), Wither Away keeps you on your toes and, more importantly, keeps your attention. JJ's vocals are strong while showing weakness in the storyline while weaving multiple vocal disciplines into a cohesive story. The instrumentation is dynamic, drives when needed, and creates an atmosphere integral to making that comprehension through the album.

Tracks range from discussions, almost conversations asking questions of depression, religion, and does belonging even exist? The fourth wall is even broken in the track 'I Won't Find Hope In You' as you're told, "I wish that I was only writing lyrics when I said that I don't like having fun. Depressed but now I see there's beauty in this melody". I recommend listening to the album while reading the lyrics to capture any nuances that may have been missed.

In the track' Stigmatized,' JJ repeats lines towards the end of the track with the solo backing of guitar-only in a melodic fashion. More instruments join in, and JJ's vocals become more pleading and emotional. He screams, "You're dead to me," his last line and almost every other band would kick everything into high gear to either restart the chorus or get one more semi-breakdown squeezed in, but Wither Away doesn't, and instead, play out more melodically and calm. That's confidence in one's musical direction. 

That's one of the keys to IWFHIY, confidence. In every facet, Wither Away has made an engrossing album built like the pagoda with confidence. Confidence in their musical ability to draw you in, keep you on your toes, create an atmosphere, and tell a compelling story.

Not only did Ricky Armellino (HAWK, Ice Nine Kills) mix and produce the album (a fantastic job of keeping tone and ambiance), but he also added his featuring abilities, as did Hotel Books. Both features add an extra layer to the dynamics of IWFHIY and fit in nicely. The only things that ever felt out of place were small autotuned pop flourishes in the final track 'Your Name.'. It's nothing that would ruin the track; it just feels out of place with the tone of the rest of the album.

I have been a fan of Wither Away since their debut EP, but they added another dimension to their abilities with 'I Won't Find Hope In You.' The album's flow is precise, layered, and the balance of singing and screaming is unrivaled. You'll never feel like you're worn out or following the same template set by others. The band has genuinely made something personal of their own and shared it with an audience.

Wither Away has done anything but, with their new full-length release, 'I Won't Find Hope In You.' Make sure you listen and support them. 

Website (Pre-Order/Order ‘I Won’t Find Hope In You’)

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A Scent Like Wolves - Mystic Auras - Album Review

A Scent Like Wolves - Mystic Auras - We Are Triumphant

Track List:

1. Pink Dawn (intro)

2. Eastern Lights

3. Telephone

4. Bloom (feat. JT Cavey of Erra)

5. Poison

6. Midnight Eyes (interlude)

7. Deja Vu (feat. Mattéo Gelsomino of Novelists + Sal3m)

8. Death Effect (feat. Brian Wille of Currents)

9. Dissolve (feat. Booka Nile of Make Them Suffer)

10. Aquamarine

Just shy of three years, A Scent Like Wolves return with their sophomore album 'Mystic Auras,' but does it run with the pack or lead the hunt?

Hailing from Reading, a small town in PA, A Scent Like Wolves (ASLW) have continually refined and molded their sound since their debut full length, 'And The Story Goes' in 2013. 'Mystic Auras' continues that tradition with mixtures of post-hardcore, metalcore, and progressive metalcore elements. Not only that, they're one of the few remaining pure dual vocalist bands in the scene. That means 'Mystic Auras' showcases intertwining clean and unclean (singing and screaming) vocal performances from brothers Al and Nick. From soaring highs to bellowing screams, there's plenty of diversity throughout 'Mystic Auras.'

ASLW has always been good at setting the mood in their music, and this is no different, but it's accomplished differently than in their previous material. Each track sounds different from the last while still feeling like ASLW. The musical arrangements vary, not allowing the listener to become bored, while catchy choruses and driving instrumentation keep constant interest in what's coming next. 

A unique trait of 'Mystic Auras' is the willingness to diversify and emphasize features from the scene. Utilizing features is often a missed opportunity in post-hardcore and metalcore. Unlike pop, hip-hop, and other genres, features are used sparingly, but that's not the case with ASLW. Out of the ten tracks, four have features. That's 40%! Easy math even I can do! 'Mystic Auras' boasts features from some heavy hitters from ERRA, Novelists, Currents, and Make Them Suffer! That's an impressive lineup, and each makes an impact and adds an extra layer to their track. 'Dissolve,' which features Booka from Make Them Suffer, is worth an additional note as it's the first almost ballad-style music ASLW has attempted. It certainly pays off (minus a little shoe-horning at the beginning (😜).

My only minute gripe with 'Mystic Auras' is that out of ten tracks, two of them are an intro and interlude (that's 20%). Really, it's only because ASLW always leaves you wanting more. More dual-vocals, more driving instruments, more heavy-melody. It's cliche, but you want even more of the story.

One of the best parts of ASLW when listening to 'Mystic Auras' is the feeling that they're making the music they want to make. Their music feels like the identity they want, and sometimes, that can be rare in a scene of trend followers. Even though they're very good at mixing genres, you don't feel like it's overwhelming or forced. It's a natural progression of the journey they've been on for almost ten years. In that way, they'll always be leading their own pack with 'Mystic Auras.'

Make sure to support A Scent Like Wolves by pre-ordering ‘Mystic Auras’ and following/listening at these links:

Website

Bandcamp

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