Album Review: Withering Surface – Meet Your Maker (Mighty Music)

Swedish melodic death metal, the so-called melo-death, got its breakthrough in the mid-1990s with especially bands from Gothenburg such as In Flames, At The Gates and Dark Tranquility. Withering Surface from Næstved, Denmark quickly captured the new special genre and since then marked the band as the most successful Danish melodic death metal band since its foundation in 1994 and until the band took a break in 2005. Four albums and additional EP / single / demo releases made it into the band’s career.

Now Withering Surface are back with a new album release and live activities. “Meet Your Maker” is the name of the album and consists of 9 brand new songs mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen at Hansen Studios. It will be released on June 19th 2020 via Mighty Music.

The line-up consists of the original members Allan Tvedebrink (guitar), Jakob Møller Gundel (drums) and Michael H. Andersen (vocals) – supplemented by Morten Lybecker, who played keyboard in the band in 1999-2005 and Marcel Lysgaard Lech, who played the guitar from 1998-2000 – as well as bassist Jesper Kvist (Invocator, Raunchy).

But why a reunion and why now? Guitarist Allan Tvedebrink explains:

I didn’t expect to suddenly sit down and do new Withering Surface songs in 2019. The first time the idea came up, I shook my head at it, but when it was defined who were on board, I had to admit I’d really enjoy playing with them again and it fit nicely in relation to where I was creatively and temporally in my life. So, I wrote a test song and it felt amazing! All of a sudden, we had ideas for several songs that everyone liked, and the reunion was a reality.

The fire is certainly still there as Withering Surface blast through 9 tracks of hard hitting melo-death. Stuff that gets you throwing the horns, head-banging away and appreciating the layers.

From the title track to Raised Right and Alone, the first third of the album punches hard and lifts the spirits. Classy riffing, some real bite to the vocals and a deep rivet of bass and drums.

Burning brightly and with some downright catchy energy, Room 417 and In A City Without Soul are a pair of bangers. The former with a thrilling guitar solo to boot. Followed by some thrashing speed with Leaves in the Stream and some epic sounding metal groove with I’ll Soon Be Gone. Powerful and impactful melo-death is an understatement.

It’s a triumphant return and while Mourning Light and The Apprentice don’t change the formula, it’s such a winner no-one will care.

Withering Surface – Meet Your Maker Full Track Listing:

1. Meet Your Maker
2. Raised Right
3. Alone
4. Room 417
5. In A City Without Soul
6. Leaves In The Stream
7. I’ll Soon Be Gone
8. Mourning Light
9. The Apprentice

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