I haven’t slept well in weeks. It’s not because of Grief Relic, but my swimming mind, anxious thoughts and spinning days have made approaching the album different. At least different from what I’m used to. It’s a beast; it’s horrifying, don’t get me wrong. It’s like staring down a hallway stripped of paint and wallpaper, and seeing a vague shape draw a blade. It’s like you’re nailed to the floorboards as it comes at you, floating, laughing, and speaking in strange tongues.
It’s hard for me to pinpoint Withered’s Grief Relic at times. The band has lost two members since Dualitas (Dylan Kilgore and Mike Longoria) and gained two since (Ethan McCarthy and Colin Marston). But don’t hang your thoughts around that too much. Withered are still a savage, unforgiving unit playing a heavy amalgamation of death and black metal. Six years is a long time to wait between albums, but perhaps this will mark a more consistent release frame for the band.
I’ve been trying to drink myself into an alcoholic coma sleep. It’s not working, so here I am, one bottle of wine later. Should’ve bought weed. Guess I’ll pay for that later. But maybe this just puts me in the right frame of mind for Grief Relic. It’s aggressive, it’s bitter, yes, but there’s a certain quality about the album that feels like it’s constantly worn out. Like it’s crawling forward and bitting down so hard its teeth are cracking. The track “A Realm of Suffering” really brought this home. It feels strained and like it’s, well, suffering horribly, terribly and endlessly.
Grief Relic is an album that lacks forgiveness. What’s so odd and captivating about the album is its recording style. Withered play most strongly to the death metal sound but the recording sounds distant. Like it’s calling from another dimension. It’s got this weird alternate dimension, otherworldly, Lovecraftian feel to it. Like something terrible is always lurking underneath the chords and bestial drum beats. The epic feel of “Feelbe Gasp” pushes this harder, perhaps, than any other track. It’s like a summoning of grief and dominance.
Grief Relic, despite its largest focus on death and black metal, also dabbles in some serious sludge/doom. To say that the influence of Primitive Man (McCarthy’s band) isn’t felt on here would be a lie. The tempo is kept up for the most part and Mike Thompson guttural growls and screams help push the songs along with Beau Brandon amazing drumming, but Grief Relic certainly takes its time at points. “Husk” (not to be confused with “Empty Husk", a song by Primitive Man), brings out some excellent sludgy moments that sharpen the album’s teeth. “Downward” also exercises this strength with some carnivorously slower aspects.
Grief Relic, if you haven’t heard already, is a bestial bitch of an album. Something that’s endlessly hungry and ready to spill blood. The addition of McCarthy and Marston haven’t hurt Withered for a single second. What confuses me about this record is that whenever I have it on, I’m into it: every second, every moment. It’s a ruthless run. However, it’s got this weird way of not always drawing you back. Constantly I find myself listening to other releases over it. Whether that’s a sign of excitement for other records or that I’m just in the mood for something else, I don’t know. But Grief Relic is worth the trip down that horrifying hallway.
Score: 7/10
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