{"id":281615,"date":"2025-11-14T02:04:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T02:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/281615\/"},"modified":"2025-11-14T02:04:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T02:04:15","slug":"withering-soul-passage-of-the-arcane-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/281615\/","title":{"rendered":"Withering Soul – Passage of the Arcane Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Much has changed in the decade since Withering Soul last graced this website. I was in high school when Madam X placed a scarlet 2.5<\/a> on Adverse Portrait, a scoring I would agree with wholeheartedly. It was an enjoyable but unfocused work, and its Moonspell-akin gothic tendencies didn\u2019t mesh well with the band\u2019s Dissection worship. But in a development not covered here, Withering Soul leveled up with 2021\u2019s Last Contact, dropping the Type O Negative vocals almost entirely and amping up their blackened core with beefier riffs and more engaging compositions. Some gothic elements remained, and what did felt far better integrated into their style than before. Withering Soul continue down this stylistic path through their fifth album Passage of the Arcane, centered on the theme of \u201chuman experiences traversing into cursed oblivion.\u201d Have Withering Soul really discovered a path of subliminal qualities, or will Passage of the Arcane only lead to disappointment?<\/p>\n

Passage of the Arcane is a sensible progression from Last Contact for Withering Soul. Sporting Dark Fortress atmospheres brute-forced to life through death-influenced Dissection riffage, Withering Soul have departed even further from goth rock than Last Contact in favor of even more blistering melodic black metal. Gone are the low, clean croons of Withering Soul\u2019s past, with lead man Christopher relying entirely on his powerful, hoarse screams for vocals. But the songs remain snappy with strong, hooky riffs and seamless transitions between various musical ideas. Death metal grime stains Withering Soul\u2019s sonic tapestry on \u201cGrievance Eludes the Light\u201d and \u201cAmong Covetous Eyes,\u201d while the sheen of synthesizers coats \u201cGallery of the End\u201d and \u201cBurden of the Valiant.\u201d Withering Soul are clearly a talented bunch and everyone gets a chance to shine on Passage of the Arcane; with guitarist Frank G. layering \u201cGallery of the End\u201d with a bright, melodic solo; drummer Rick hitting slick fills on \u201cGrievance Eludes the Light\u201d and bassist Joel dropping fat, sneaky lines on \u201cTrajectory.\u201d Withering Soul don\u2019t break the mold with Passage of the Arcane, but they did craft an album better than their last.<\/p>\n

\ufeffPassage of the Arcane by Withering Soul<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s real dirt in Passage of the Arcane. The opening one-two-three punch of \u201cAttrition Horizon,\u201d \u201cGrievance Eludes the Light,\u201d and \u201cThe Monolith Embodied\u201d sees Withering Soul swing with heavyweight might as Christopher and Frank G.\u2019s guitars pummel through power chord abusive, tremolo-heavy riffs of winding, thrashy and frost rimed-natures. Things get more exploratory as Passage of the Arcane progresses, but Withering Soul never let off that initial intensity. Passage of the Arcane\u2019s punchy production makes Rick\u2019s kick drums really thump, and Joel\u2019s bass comes through big time in Withering Soul\u2019s chuggier, groovier moments (\u201cTrajectory\u201d). There\u2019s an embarrassment of good riffs here, and everything clear of fat until, unfortunately, the closer \u201cBurden of the Valiant,\u201d but even that song picks up eventually. Like the blackened counterpart to Dormant Ordeal from earlier this year<\/a>, Withering Soul more often than not embody aggression, dealing out some truly cut-throat metal on Passage of the Arcane.<\/p>\n

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But Withering Soul is held back from greatness by a lack of variety in certain areas. Riffs are multitudinous, but almost every guitar lead on Passage feels identical, usually consisting of basic eighth note arpeggios overtop tremolo riffs that don\u2019t really do much to spruce up the chords (\u201cAttrition Horizon,\u201d \u201cGallery of the End,\u201d \u201cBurden of the Valiant\u201d). It just stinks that Withering Soul couldn\u2019t bring the creativity they have for rhythm guitar to lead. Similarly (and a bit ironically), vocal monotony is an issue, as Christopher only uses one style of scream across Passage of the Arcane\u2019s 41 minutes. Perhaps a little goth bass singing wouldn\u2019t go amiss, as a treat? These complaints may verge on nitpicks, but they are prominent and persistent enough to somewhat sully my enthusiasm for Passage of the Arcane.<\/p>\n

Withering Soul assembled Passage of the Arcane out of common ingredients to the sub-genre, but tight songwriting and strong performances elevate the material. Though an immediate album in many ways, Passage was a grower for me, as repeat listenings revealed little details and how the pieces move. If you like your black metal riff-centric and melodic, this is an easy recommendation. Withering Soul may have reduced their sonic palette over the years, but the downsizing only made them leaner and meaner, and Passage of the Arcane is a lean, mean listen.<\/p>\n

Rating: Very Good
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb\/s mp3
Label: Liminal Dread Productions<\/a>
Websites: witheringsoul.bandcamp.com<\/a> | facebook.com\/witheringsoulband<\/a> | instagram.com\/witheringsoul_77<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: November 14th, 2025<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n