Next year, in 2025, In Loving Memory will celebrate their 20th anniversary. Despite two decades of existence, however, they have never been the most productive act on our planet. After an untitled demo, the band did record three full length albums and one mini-album: Tragedy & Moon (2008; independently released), Negation Of Life (2011, via BadMoodMan Music), the EP Redemption (2014; House Of Ashes Productions), and, after a very long period of ear-deafening silence, The Withering, their debut for Funere (a stunning Doom-oriented label from Armenian soil with a close partnership to Satanath Records). This last one was recorded by the band at the Room 11 studio, and mixed + mastered at the Koba Studio. Despite its age - the album [edited both digitally and on compact-disc, with a twelve-page booklet and a sticker] was released almost three years ago - it is still worth being mentioned somehow.
Before going over to the sonic content of this album, a word about the line-up. The Withering was recorded by original members Jorge Araiz (rhythm guitars) and Juanma Blanco (vocals, lyrics and lead guitars [*] [both Jorge and Juanma are -or were- both active in Brutal Death Metal band Agoyzen too], keyboardist Alberto D. (who joined in 2010) and bass player José ‘Txerra’ Gonzalez, who unfortunately traded mortality for eternity, shortly after he left the band. The drum parts, by the way, were arranged by Jorge with assistance of former member Igor P.
[*] Juanma ‘Xykhron’ took care of the album’s visual art as well, for your information, like he did for the former releases; the cover and inner artwork is quite metaphoric, and therefor of respectable importance: mind the art within the booklet, with each painting referring to the conceptual compositions…
The Withering is a very lengthy epos, consisting of ten compositions that last in between seven and nine minutes (total running time: 78:10 minutes!). Thematically, this album deals with the troubled relationship in between Mother Earth and the human kind: climate change, pollution, pandemics, and the philosophical way how people look at their impending doom. Hope versus despair, fear for death, remorse, helplessness.
This newest piece is another (big) step within this combo’s existence. It surely goes on in the vein of most former stuff, yet it has somehow grown and expanded, both stylistically and conceptually. At least, it does sound much more personal, in-depth and reflective than before. Yet from sonic point, the band did create their most convincing and coherent album to date. It continues the highly-harmonious and atmospheric Doom Death Metal approach from the past. However, things sound more ‘rich’ and persuasive. Anyway, the spine of each track is based on haunting melodies, grim voices and a powerful rhythm section support. The strings are multifold-layered, with different levels of four- and six-string melodicism. The tremolo leads paint a dark, sometimes even nostalgic landscape, with a lot of emotion. It works mesmerizing, yet still it does maintain a burdensome factor at the very same time. Also the whole rhythm-string section is of importance, for supportively accompanying the lead parts, as well as for introducing a sense of well-crafted and experienced elegance. When it comes to the vocals, well, the better part is quite characteristic for this specific musical trend: deep, little gurgling and injected with frustration, anger and patronizing. Yet compared to several ‘colleagues’, Juanma’s pronunciation is very fair and understandable. Besides, this vocalist makes use of many whispered narratives throughout the whole album. It does surely work, because the whispering timbre is much more than just ‘breathing words’; rather a warm, reverberating story-telling affair. Worth mentioning too are the drum efforts, offering much more than ‘just aural support’. Drums / percussions are used meticulously as a necessary ingredient, with an own investment, an own identity. And I cannot forget to mention the synths, for their role is to cover the whole experience in a warm veil of illusion and revelation.
…which easily brings me to the top-notch recording duties. The production has been done with finesse and pride, followed by a superb mix. The latter provides for a smooth balance in between all instruments (electric and acoustic) and voices. The transition in between the leading and more atmospheric passages, the interplay of slow and mid-tempo sections, the equilibrium in between heavier and more integer fragments; the perfected sound-quality lifts the whole up to a level of competent height.
Even-though this album does not renew the scene, The Withering shows a mature and professional niveau. Because of the technically high-standard song-writing and ditto execution / performance, every ‘fan’ of Doom / Doom Death Metal must give this a try. Forget about the clichés of the scene, because The Withering accompanies the listener to a qualitatively profound pitch.
https://funere.bandcamp.com/album/the-withering
https://ilmband.bandcamp.com/album/the-withering