Band: Withered

Title: Folie Circulaire

Label: Prosthetic Records

Distribution: Suburban

Release date: 14/07/2008

Review: CD

The Atlanta-based quartet Withered was formed in 2003 from the remains of Punk / Crust / Core band Social Infestation, but musically it has nothing to do anymore with that defunct band. After a mini-album (Order Born From Chaos, 2004) and a first full length (Memento Mori, 2005, released through Lifeforce Records), this studio album, having duration of forty six minutes, and after having hit the road with, for example, Mastodon, Withered did record this second full length at the Jam Room with Phillip Cope from Kylesa- and Baroness-fame. The mastering, for the interested ones, was done by Scott Hull at his Visceral Sound ( ! ). Folie Circulaire goes further where the former album ended. As from the beginning, a thick, massive wall of sound combines Doom, Sludge, Black Metal and Crust with a grinding touch, a deadly sound and a droning atmosphere. The intensity crosses all known boundaries, and each level of acceptable strength gets easily crushed by this band’s overwhelming power. A layer of Mastodon / High On Fire / Neurosis-alike oppression and a hint of Unleashed / Amon Amarth-oriented Death / Black / Epic Metal floats in perfect balance with grim and blackened eruptions in the vein of, let’s say, Diabolicum or Setherial, and a few cold atmospheres à la Vond / Cintecele Diavolui, and even some UK-oriented Grind-ness is subtly part of this killer piece. …not that strange either, probably, that Mister Barney Greenway from Napalm Death did some guest vocals, I guess. The final song, Into Armageddon, by the way, is a cover by Necrophobic. Highly, very high-ly (read: under influence of …; and then it’s up to you) recommended to fans of both ultra-Sludge and Black Metal!

96/100

Ivan Tibos.