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Hall of the Dead

Withered Land

Overall, this was a solid listening experience, and it conjured up images of what one might find in the cold north. The music was delightfully wicked, and the vocals spoke from the void, but with an emotional punch.
September 19, 2025

From Bandcamp, "Lost in the cold forests, the hunted travelers find their last resting places here. The bloody moon has illuminated the path of the predator and its prey; blood sprinkled the snow of the frozen wastelands. All these tracks are something like memories that restless spirits narrate to those who come to the hall of the dead. Stories of travelers frozen to death in the forests, eaten by predators, killed by vampires, after encounters with necromancers, atronachs, or who were lost in labyrinths full of draugrs and skeletons."

The album has seven songs, and "Through the Winterhold's Blizzard" is first. Wolves howl in the cold, bleak landscape, and the slow guitar tones are very solemn. The pick up in pacing makes the hairs stand on the back of your neck, as you realized that you are in mortal danger. In this case, by a pack of bloodthirsty wolves. "Dare Pale Winter" enters with that familiar Dungeon Synth sound, and segues into an angry slab of aggression with dark tones afoot. For a break from some of the tortured tones, there is a keyboard ambient middle, but the aggression returns shortly thereafter.

"In the Restless Depths of Ustengrav" is a reference to a Nordic ruin in the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, located north-east of Morthal. It serves as the burial site of Jurgen Windcaller. The dungeon contains bandits, necromancers, and draugr. The short song definitely gives the listener the feeling that they have stumbled upon it. "Revenge of the Fallen" is like a war anthem for the dead arising and taking their revenge. The tones are firm, weighted, and aggressive, and the vocals have a harrowing, evil edge to them. "All Dead, All Rotten" begins with clean tones, and the promise of something different, but the rotted bodies rise quickly, and the song takes on a somber edge to go with the weight.

"Draugrs of the Dead Men's Respite" features deep, low brass notes that are both powerful and solemn. But the second half of the song is a full on Black Metal assault. "Hall of the Dead" is the final offering on the album, and it's no holds barred, pedal to the metal, aggressiveness, following a tender opening sequence. Overall, this was a solid listening experience, and it conjured up images of what one might find in the cold north. The music was delightfully wicked, and the vocals spoke from the void, but with an emotional punch.

7 / 10

Good

Songwriting

7

Musicianship

8

Memorability

6

Production

8
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"Hall of the Dead" Track-listing:

1. Through the Winterhold's Blizzard

2. Dark Pale Winter

3. In the Restless Depths of Ustengrav

4. Revenge of the Fallen

5. All Dead, All Rotten

6. Draugrs of the Dead Men's Respite

7. Hall of the Dead

 

Withered Land Lineup:

Olga Kann – All music, Vocals

Koliopanos Filippos – Guitars

 

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