WITHERFALL is a band that honestly has only recently come into my periphery.  Their previous full-length, "A Prelude to Sorrow," is an album I revisited recently.  I wish I had made more time for it initially because it contains elements from so many different bands, a vision of the future they want to write.  One can hear "The Warning"-era QUEENSRYCHE, CRIMSON GLORY's "Transcendence," SANCTUARY/NEVERMORE, and a huge RUSH backbone.  Everything is composed and organically captured embracing the purest recording techniques for a truly immense, Goliath-sized album.

I signed up for the band's most recent endeavor, "Vintage," an EP that came out at the end of last month.  It would be a stretch to say that the material on this mini-album amounts to be substantial when compared to the band's discography.  The first three songs, "Vintage Medley, (Vintage Pt. 1)," "Vintage Medley (Nobody Sleeps Here)," and "Vintage Medley (Vintage, pt. III)" represent an alternate look focused on an expansive examination of the ninth track from their last full-length titled, surprisingly enough, "Vintage".  Of course, to completely exacerbate the point so as to claim monopoly-holdings over the entire EP, the final track is the original album version of "Vintage".  It is just too much.  Despite being a lengthy eleven minute-plus track, it in no way should comprise the majority of the recording.

Even with the most expansive, liberal, thoroughly-researched album collection will still most likely be disappointed in this release.  One expects a requisite amount of at least a bit of heavy.  That should not be asking for too much, right?  Having the first three songs be acoustic, simple acoustic songs with highly dramatic vocals.  It was all too Andrew Lloyd Webber for me.  It could be seen as a vibe/mood issue.

The high mark is undoubtedly the fourth track.  On this, they seem to redirect the focus to heavier material with a tight cover of HELLOWEEN's "A Tale That Wasn't Right".  HELLOWEEN would not be included in a list of easy bands to pull off a successful cover of.  It really makes WITHERFALL shine more to hear them pull off this song.

The success in covers, however, does not continue with the sixth track, a bland, alternate-key version of TOM PETTY's "I WON'T BACK DOWN".  That song is sacred material and were it not for the lyrics, it would be nearly impossible to recognize it from this version.  It is really quite disappointing.  The album can thus be summed up:  one strong song, a cover, amidst other outtakes and less-than-must-haves.

Let it be said that I have a wealth of respect and admiration for WITHERFALL.  Though there were problems, primarily in the over-emphasis on "Vintage" and the lack overall of anything heavy, Jake Dreyer's performance was excellent as usual.  He is just one of those guys that can play anything put in front of him and make it sound like HIM in the process.  The deft musicians comprising this band have a marked willingness to experiment which puts them in a position to hit many different markets as they continue on reinforcing their magic.  "Vintage" is good, I suppose, but not great.  I could not see anyone besides the true die-hard fan really going for this.