Eternal Oath, though around since 1991, came to my attention only last year with their previous album Righteous (2001). I can't really say it was a stunning effort but at least it was an interesting approach in a genre not well known in Sweden. In a country dominant by melodic Power Metal and of course Death Metal, acts molding Gothic with Death Metal can't pass unnoticed. Now in 2005 the band returns with their brand new effort entitled Wither.
Looking at the band's history I can't say I'd call them over-productive. This is probably one of the reasons why they are not so well knowm to a wider Metal audience. Eternal Oath was formed in 1991 and their first attempt was in 1993 with the release of the demo Art Of Darkness (the band had a demo set earlier, but it never saw daylight). From then on they have released only two full length albums and one mini CD.
Wither is their third full length attempt and compared to their previous work, Righteous, it has many improvements. Basically the sound of Eternal Oath can be described as Gothic Metal, with Death Metal vocals from time to time and even some classic elements blended. OK, it is not ground breaking but it is by far heavier than what the majority of Gothic Metal acts stand for. No female vocals in here, the guitars are dominant and (believe it or not) there aren't any typical I lost my love, what will I do now? lyrics. The combination of Death and clean vocals has also been used many times in the past but in the case of Eternal Oath it works out just fine.
The bombastic production achieved at Fredman Studios helps the overall sonic outcome (the band has also used Fredman for their previous studio work). If I had to pinpoint a couple of the most interesting tracks I would choose Behind Tomorrow, In Despair for My Sins and Within My World.
Though to my ears the album sounds a bit unbalanced (the second half of the album is not as good as the first half) it managed to keep my attention throughout its duration. Fans of Gothic Metal should check it out.