Witching Hour's latest release, 'Descending… Where Time Has Ceased to Exist', is a captivating yet disappointing journey into the realm of black/thrash/heavy metal. The German trio has crafted a sound that effortlessly blends the raw energy of black metal with the aggressive ferocity of thrash, all while maintaining a heavy metal heart. This is a sound that has been well-received by critics and fans alike, and with good reason. The album's warm and natural tones create a unique atmosphere, making it easy on the ears while still packing a punch. Each song is a carefully crafted epic, with the shortest track clocking in at over six minutes and the entire album fitting neatly into a 43-minute runtime. This makes for an engaging listen, but it's the songwriting that truly sets the album apart.
What makes 'Descending…' particularly fascinating is the way it showcases the band's incredible talent. Witching Hour effortlessly straddles the line between different metal genres, creating a sound that is both familiar and fresh. The album's opener, 'Where Time Has Ceased to Exist', is a prime example of this. It starts with a heavy metal swagger, roaring with spirit and featuring epic leads, scorching tremolos, and thrashy switch-ups. This sets the bar high for the rest of the record, and the band delivers with songs like 'Profane Resurrection of a Presumed Dead', which hooks its claws into the brain with an insidious chorus bark and fiery guitar and percussion work. However, it's the band's songwriting that lets the album down.
In my opinion, the main issue with 'Descending…' is the lack of compositional dynamics and the overabundance of recycled parts. Each song is a compelling case in itself, but when unified as a whole, it's all too easy to interchange phrases and measures between songs without fragmenting the experience. The epic 11-minute closer, '…and Then Came the Flames', is a microcosm of this issue. It feels complete and exciting at first, but as the track progresses, recycled parts and pieces cheapen the experience. This is a common problem with the album as a whole, and it's a shame because Witching Hour has great ideas that are let down by the songwriting.
One thing that immediately stands out is the band's ability to create a sense of atmosphere and mood. The album's warm and natural tones create a unique and immersive listening experience. However, the lack of variety in the songwriting and the overreliance on recycled parts and measures prevent the album from truly catching fire. It's a fun and entertaining listen at first, but it becomes a slog to get through in remarkably short order. By the time the closer wraps up, I've heard multiple iterations of the same ideas, spliced and arranged to deceive me into believing that I could pick any of these songs out of a lineup without a cheat sheet.
What this really suggests is that Witching Hour has the talent to create great ideas, but they need to work on their songwriting to truly support and develop them. The album has its moments of brilliance, but the repetitive structures and monotonous bloat prevent it from reaching its full potential. In another world where Witching Hour invoked a greater variety of techniques, tempos, and textures to fortify their compositions and bring reliability to excitement, this record would've been a barnburner. As it is, it never truly catches fire, and leaves me wanting more.
Personally, I think that 'Descending…' is a disappointing release from Witching Hour. While the band has the talent to create great ideas, they need to work on their songwriting to truly support and develop them. The album has its moments of brilliance, but it's a shame that the repetitive structures and monotonous bloat prevent it from reaching its full potential. I would have loved to see Witching Hour take a greater variety of techniques, tempos, and textures to fortify their compositions and bring reliability to excitement. In my opinion, this record could have been a barnburner, but as it is, it leaves me wanting.
