MINDREAPER is a melodic death metal band from Germany, that formed in 2001. Their latest release, “Withering Shine (...into Oblivion),” is their third full-length album; they have also released two demos and EP. This is my first time hearing this band’s music. I don’t regret the time I spent getting to know “Withering Shine,” but I didn’t walk away overly impressed either. While it's not an album I would call bad, it just doesn’t excite me very much. The eleven songs check off all the boxes that highlight the elements of their chosen genre but nothing really ever grabbed me…for me, there just weren't enough standout moments to give me reasons to return to it after I finish this review.

The title track opens the album and it’s a good overview of what the rest of the album has to offer–so if you like this track, you’ll enjoy the rest but if you don’t then you might want to look elsewhere. After a clean intro, which I found more interesting than the rest of the song to be honest, the band brings the distortion out full force. It’s melodic, a touch atmospheric, and even a little thrashy. It hits hard but balanced but it feels longer than it’s five and a half minute runtime, which is never a good sign. I do like the band’s incorporation of keys/orchestrations. Their presence is used smartly as a subtle but engaging way to boost the songs without overpowering the rest. This is very evident in “Death T(h)rust,” one of the album’s better songs.

The band works best when they take a heavier route, such as on “Desert Trails,” which is much more death oriented in places than the other songs. The vocals are pretty good and I like the simple but straightforward approach of the drums. The solo is short but sweet, a very natural presence that fits right into the song’s fabric. “The God I Am,” is another song that puts focus on the death and thrash elements, and the song is all the better for it. The chorus is pretty catchy, especially with the keyboards backing it up. The solo is a ripper, the best on the album and a definite highlight.

The album ends on “Final Heaven,” and at just over 7 minutes in length, it’s way too long and feels even longer. It’s not a bad song but at this point, I was already struggling to retain interest so this one just felt exhausting. All in all, MINDREAPER’s “Withering Shine (...into Oblivion),” just isn’t an album for me. I review A LOT of music so I’ve already been exposed to many good to great melodic death albums so this one just doesn’t have what I need to make it stand out to me.