SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT/WITHERSOUL „Split”

Music: Doom Metal, Melodic Death Metal
Website: oak-knoll.com
Country: U.S.
Duration: 50:07

SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT/WITHERSOUL split is the first split album released by Oak Knoll. Both bands play similar styles of melodic Death and Doom Metal, with SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT (SOB) favoring slower tempos and a heavier emphasis on classical instrumentation.

SOB’s multi-personality, Doom Metal dramatics begin the album. Band leader/found, Dan Robinson perhaps released this album as a testimony to the band’s growth. The first track ‘Maddening Hue’ exemplifies this statement. The same song’s demo version was released on “…Of Ages,” and was originally titled ‘I Cry.’ ‘Maddening Hue’ is a more mature version of the song with a cleaner, more professional production, more involved instrumentation and vastly more intricate song arrangements.

The said song opens with harmonious acoustic guitars, mandolin and cello. Julie Beaulieu and Kelly Ann Sullivan intertwine their subtle, nymph-like voices into a heavenly choir. The music soon takes a drastic turn when the acoustic guitar picks up the pace with lower, darker notes. Dan Robinson’s raucous vocals and oppressive electric guitar signal the end of life, as you know it. Warring death vocals and mournful female operatic wailing soon clash like a Manic Depressive peaking and crashing at the same time. This emotional seesaw returns to its orchestral origins before exploding into cruel, Death Metal regions with an incredibly heavy, grinding Death Metal riff.

‘…And Their Tears Shall Flood the Earth’ continues on the same grievous path as its predecessor, but more sluggishly. This track has a shadowy, pagan-like feel, invoking images of a dying Earth and cosmos. The poetic lyrics for this track alone warrant owning this disc.

WITHERSOUL’s material is presented next. The said group plays a similar style to SOB, combining melody and ferocity, although speed is utilized slightly more. With a “mere” six people in the band, the group does not use as many members as SOB. WITHERSOUL’s version of Doom Metal is more traditional, using keyboards for each classical instrument. Adam’s keyboard talents are remarkable. For proof, just listen to the fast piano passages on the group’s first track ‘Forever, I will Burn,’ the most upbeat track on the album. Other highlights on their half of the album include the Middle-Eastern Doom Metal riffing on ‘Descent’ mixed with divine vocals of Laura. The album’s last track ‘In Emptiness’ shows Death Metal vocalist, Jeremy hitting a half-Death, half-Black Metal screech that is pure agony, much like the insane bellows of early MY DYING BRIDE. The group’s overall guitar and keyboard style is reminiscent of other Peaceville Records bands from MY DYING BRIDE’s “As the Flower Withers” era such as THE GATHERING and PARADISE LOST. If you miss the good ole’ days of those bands, buy some WITHERSOUL.

When one considers the longevity of such labels as Roadrunner, Nuclear Blast, and Metal Blade, Oak Knoll is just a fledgling label with only a couple years of material. If Oak Knoll continues to sign bands of the caliber as the ones found on this split, expect this label to also prosper for many years.

note: 9/10

Tracklist

SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT:
1. A Maddening Hue
2. And Their Tears Shall Flood the Earth

WITHERSOUL:
3. Forever, I Will Burn
4. Descent
5. In Emptiness

Line-up

SHROUD OF BEREAVEMENT:
Kelly Ann Sullivan – Vocals
Dan Robinson – Guitar, Vocals
Mark Guy – Guitar
Dave Starratt – Bass
Juile Beaulieau – Keyboards,Vocals
Mike Soucy – Synths
Danny Clarke – Drums (ex-In Memorium (US))

WITHERSOUL:
Jeremy Shepherd – Vocals
Laura Jones – Vocals
Dan Thompson – Guitar
William Carter – Bass (ex-From Within, ex-Reflux, Garden of Shadows, Dominium (US))
RJ Gibson – Drums
Adam – keyboards, Backing Vocals