I remember Withering Surface from seeing them play live in London in the early 00s. Who they were supporting I can’t remember but I do remember going home with a good impression after seeing they were a decent band whose stock in trade was melodic metal. The band actually formed 31 years ago, and has released six albums including this one but were inactive between 2005 and 2020 when they re-emerged to release their previous album “Meet Your Maker”.
The title “Exit Plan” sounds like something that Soilwork should have released. I guess I’m thinking of “Departure Plan”. The song “Exit Plan” does not change my view on this. To be fair to Withering Surface, this opening song oozes meat and melody. Carefully structured and unmistakeably Scandinavian in sound – for the record Withering Surface are from Denmark – it’s a cracking fresh song with tight control and appetising technical work. I understood immediately why I liked them all those years ago. I suppose you could argue that it sounds dated but does that matter? “Where Dreamers Die” is one of three singles releases on the album and is next up. Thrashy and full of life and energy, it’s a proper metal song whose rocking and rolling qualities are designed to get us moving. Heavy melody means fun. I know I’m reviewing this album and am expected to come up with pithy analysis but I was just having a blast listening to this. “Not The Destination” got me thinking of early In Flames but more importantly it’s full of punch. Metal for the masses is perhaps unfair but it’s loud, vivacious, technically mobile and proficient, and catchy. “Not The Destination” closes with a nicely interwoven guitar solo. “The Oracle” is yet more expansive. Loud and proud to begin, parts of it are goose-bumpingly epic. This is a big song. The delivery has an element of Soilwork while being a top-quality classic metal song with luxurious instrumental touches.
So where do we go for the next adventure in this chocolate factory of melodic death metal? The answer is “I Finally Lost (All Faith I Humanity)”. A rapid and compelling melodic metal introduction leads us into the core song. Heavy, catchy and hooky the result is an appealing amalgam of In Flames, Children of Bodom and Mors Principium Est. While I’m throwing names at it, the chorus of “Denial Denial Denial” reminded me of Mercenary, not for the only time on the album I should add. The song itself is a catchy anthemic sing-a-long, but importantly not without development. Withering Surface manage to bridge gap between commercial songs, which these are, and heavy structures with instrumental twists and turns. The core riff of “Finish What You Started” is pure Mors Principium Est, but I’m not complaining. It’s heavy, aggressive and soaked in a dreamworld of melody. By virtue of the instrumentals and growled vocals, the songs are invariably dark. “You Hurt This Child”, as perhaps the title suggests, is darker than most, stringing out a more sinister layer through the now expected solid song structure with brash and flamboyant instrumentals. There’s only one drum and guitar blast left now. This is “Mindreader”. It would have been a disappointment if Withering Surface had changed tack at this point, and so I’m pleased to say that they don’t, combining all the heavy and melodic ingredients for one last rousing and euphoric number for audiences to imbibe and enjoy.
Withering Surface prove themselves here to be masters of the melodic death metal genre. I suspected that this album might be good but I didn’t expect it to be this good. The songs are along clean lines and therefore accessible and catchy, while they have a high degree of sophistication and heaviness. Theirs is the recipe for good honest songs. It could be argued that “Exit Plan” is a blast from the past but Withering Surface do what they’re good at and the result is an outstanding album.
(9/10 Andrew Doherty)
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