The quintet from Columbus, Ohio, BATHER arrive with their self-titled album and join dark forces of a vast music scene. Named after from a set of paintings called Musidora: The Bather 'At the Doubtful Breeze Alarmed" by William Etty, the band bring a dark and heavy sound into the light. After a lot of research, there isn't a lot to tell about this mysterious band other than the band members names. As for what each does within the band, remains a mystery. There just isn't a lot of info about the Ohio band other than they are signed to Appalachian Noise Records and their debut album was released April 12, 2019. Curiosity kills the cat, so let us hear what the band has going for them.

The first song, "Drown The Sun," throws out a dirty heavy sound. The guitars seem to grind at bare bones before the faster paced chorus grind the bones to ash. The vocals are low but understandable and keep pace with the song during the changes. "Birds" comes again with the same hardcore grind and doesn't seem to change pace much from the first song. It is almost the same song as the first, but the chorus and intros differ somewhat, as it keeps a slower beat and infuses more slow heavy guitar. The solo gives an Egyptian feel that somewhat reminds me of NILE's intros. "All Dark Rooms" gives more of a diverse sound, as that slow heaviness breaks into blast beats and chugging riffs. At least here, we get a different feel for the band. They sound more like WHITECHAPEL with their riffs and the vocals remind me a lot of Phil Bozeman. Mike White, member of the band, says, "All Dark Rooms" is about severe anxiety and paranoia. Everything is out to get you and you can't escape." when asked about the song itself. The debut video of the song and band can be found below. "Leaves Like Bones" is the grand finale of the debut album. The six-minute opus comes in with a dark sound as if you are walking into a horror movie. The pace quickens with the verse, but slows back into that darkness the band seems to hide in. The chorus keeps a dark feeling around you as the guitar gives off a strange array of sound. The slow heaviness coerces you to follow the song until near the halfway point gives way to that blast beats of the drums and carries with it the sharp knives of the guitars. It isn't a quick change of pace but it lets back into the slow and heavy darkness the band has created throughout the album.

BATHER seem to have come up from the darkness to bring their music to life. The music itself is not necessarily unique and leaves me as if I have heard the songs before. Maybe it is from their previous band name FOREST WARS, maybe it is from other bands of the same genre. They do have quite a few highlights that are worth noting, such as the guitars with their strange sounds or the quick riff changes the drummer seems to stick well. Their diverseness seems to show more towards the middle of the album so you do not feel like you are listening to the same song over and over again. Like all music, the band is still worth a listen if you enjoy filthy and atmospheric hardcore.