With the force of an immensely heavy sacrificial dagger, WITHERING SOUL have, as of June 9th, 2015, released a new album on Mortal Music Records. This beautiful construct called "Adverse Portrait" is a testament to how creative a "Blackened Metal" band can get and still exist in the realm of Black Metal. They add the tag "Haunted Melodic" at the beginning of the genre name to give it a more specific title and it is not only accurate, but also appropriate, even foreboding. After 2011''s "No Closure" album, this Chicago, US quartet of evil set out to produce some intensely monstrous music and succeeded.

I am thoroughly impressed with this album. The completeness of the music is greatly satisfying when it is heard. The average tempo is set to ludicrous but no single instrument gets ahead or behind the others, keeping all notes and sounds synced up and pumping like centipedes' legs in a deadly swarm.

In general, the band create steady riffs but every so often, they are happy to throw in the archetypal furious Black Metal blast beat. Not only does it emphasize the strength of their sound on this album, but also perks up the attention span of the listener. The backing synths range from "atmosphere" to "haunting pipe organ" and bring with ease the evil sounds by the churchload. The synths, along with a healthy measurement of double-bass pedals, add that "epic" element to the music. The vocals are not the screaming, high-end harsh kind of stuff like that of MAYHEM or DARK FUNERAL, so this along with the melodic factor is a departure from traditional Black Metal styling. The minor key notes through the deep, resonating voice of Mykil provides the visuals of a Halloween horror scene.

Though the first song "Vestige" is merely an introduction, the remaining seven songs exemplify how massive and crushing Blackened Metal can be. The entire album deserves a listen or twenty, but one of my favorite and most mentionable moments was the dual harmonizing guitar solo in "Shadow Path." The crescendo literally gave me chills, and it is summer where I am at the time I wrote this. Well played (literally), WITHERING SOUL.

So if you're looking for something like BEHEMOTH, DIMMU BORGIR, and BELPHEGOR put together with a uniquely modern, American spin to it, then this band will get you on the right track, courtesy of "Adverse Portrait!"