ALBUM REVIEW: Widower – Cataclysmic Sorcery

Here I review the first ever full length album from Texas Blackened Thrash Metal mob WIDOWER. Set for release on May 24th via Black Market Metal Label.

1. House Of The Lord churns out bleak guitars, feedback and crashing fills before building to a punchy crawling groove with thick bass lines cutting nicely through the mix. The snarled vocals perfectly suit the macabre grooving instrumentals with a morbid thrashing overtone quickly creeping into the soundscapes of extremity. Howling with a maniacal old school songwriting style but with a concise modern production, there is a familiarity yet something incredibly unique about this material from the onset. The blistering guitar solos had skill and attitude in equal measure before the brutish barrages continue. An excellent opening track.
2. Into The Crypt dives right back in with menacing thrashing guitars and ferocious blastbeats, no introduction needed. The forceful savagery of the band is performed with impressive precision, from the violent drumming to the ripping guitars and demonic vocals, everything feels like it was incredibly well rehearsed. There is a really nice hook to the bridges in the song that is catchy and intense, while the total frenzy of the piece gives a much more chaotic experience that is equally enticing. Awesome stuff.
3. Hell Sent crashes into more high-octane guitars and drums with some short lead sections boosting the speeding assaults into overdrive before the menacing rhythms break entirely loose. There is an icy inferno of more sombre guitar riffs and blasts that is atmospheric and nicely builds back into the more aggressive thrashy sections, the use of songwriting skills are absolutely incredible. Guitar solos are used well to keep things interesting for a volatile and punchy experience. Nicely done.
4. Bestial Endowment thunders right back into the obtusely grinding and pummelling assaults of total barbarity that remains technically impressive and well produced but filled with contempt and truly impressive skill. The fast pace of the album has some really nice hooks similar to Skeletonwitch that keep you on your toes, this song also features some more Speed Metal touches, that while subtle add a nice bit of sleaze to the piece. The more chaotic solo suited the violent and savage song style gorgeously. Wonderful.
5. Mandatory Immolation utilises some nice melodic guitar riffing that is forcefully thrown at you with the mighty drum work backing them up before the tortured screeches of the vocalist complete the mix. The production itself is so pitch-perfect with nothing being left buried, although some might find it too clean for the musical style, I think the bands more modern approach makes for something unique in the genre. The Death Metal touches add yet another exciting element, or maybe nuance would be a more appropriate term as they are not too obnoxious. Killer stuff.
6. Fornicate Upon Mass Graves falls in with built up guitars, adding a foreboding feeling to the music, crashing drums furthering the atmospheric chaos before we are driven right into almost purely Black Metal soundscapes, not unlike earlier Immortal material. The thrashing paces soon reappear to add the adrenaline surging forcefulness to the blackened assaults. Sombre atmospherics are something I did not expect to appear but they are used beautifully to add an emotional and sonic diversity that we have not heard much of from the band. Utterly brilliant.
7. Tree Of Ignorance uses some effective guitars built into monolithic walls of thrashing instrumentals with blasting force that hits incredibly hard. Ripping vocals lurk in the unrelenting instrumentals to create a tense track filled with a raw aggression that is just fantastic to behold. While the song has got Black Metal touches, this is clearly a more dominantly Thrash Metal piece which gives the headbangers a chance to get in and join the mosh pit. Some really cool stuff with gloriously howled vocals and cutting bass that complements the unrelenting drums and grooving guitars beautifully.
8. Cosmic Holocaust comes in with melodic blistering riffs and upbeat drums, following the consistent, high-octane formula of the album as expected. The way the riffs are played are filled with life which can also be said about the energetic and insanely impressive drum performance. Once more the vocalist joins us with ferociously hellish screams and growls that follow the instrumental inflections with total strength. There are some absolutely stunning guitar riffs on this song especially. Another really enjoyable piece.
9. Forgotten Realm closes the album. Coming in once more with upbeat and punch drums and ripping guitars, this final song is going to back in once last bout of warfare for the headbangers to go crazy to. There is a natural melancholy even within the speed of the assaults that is common in a closing song, sometimes unintentionally, that works to create a stunning juxtaposition while still going out on an anthemic, awesome high for the band. A ferocious ending track that closed the album with the full force the band has to offer.

This album was some really enjoyable Blackened Thrash Metal with a more modern feeling that allowed the technicality of the instrumentals the be incredibly clear alongside the howling vocals. The album was nicely paced with a consistently unrelenting, high-adrenaline pace but some melancholic blackened sections spacing things out. Certainly a fun listen! -7.5/10