So anyone that has been following Slime&Grime since its grotesque birthing knows that I hate Ghost. To me, it sounds like slow, boring Blue Oyster Cult. Literally nothing about their sound works for me. What's weird is, Witherfang totally works for me.
Since seeing their set for the first time back in March I have been a huge fan. Their mid paced, riff driven, melodic heavy metal sound mixed with their Gothic themes really hit the spot. Which is weird, because one could say I just described Ghost. Lucky for me, resident guitarist Anthony Flakus and I grew to be friends, and recently took our relationship to the next level…. I mean… I somehow got leaked the new Witherfang track before it's release…. Wait, what did you think I meant?
Over the past couple of months, Witherfang has hit some turbulence, on their path to success. Their singer Jon, who was a big part of their sound, returned home to Florida, and their previous drummer ended up going to Julliard or something. Thankfully our boys pulled through and will be releasing a new track, By the Light Of the Moon, tomorrow. It slaps bro!
The sound design is pristine! I cannot get over it's crystal clear mix. This track could go toe to toe with with any big league pop song with a million dollar production budget. Flakus and his crew certainly know how to get a professional sound for cheap.
Garrett Bymer's, who after Jon, has since taken up vocal duties alongside his guitar work, has mad chops, and his vocals are more than a replacement for what was lost. Garrett manages to keep Jon's Gothic tone while bringing a fuller sound that compliments the instrumentals. My only complaint is the lack of screams in this track. They aren't a necessity for their sound, but it brought quite a bit of flavor to their sound in the past. Overall I'm pleasantly surprised at the talent Garrett continues to excuse.
The other standout here is the guitar work. The main riff drives the song at a decent pace and goes out of its way to be more interesting than is necessary. The riff could have gotten away with simple strummed base chords, but Witherfang knows you'll appreciate the extra effort. The dual harmonies in the chorus are where the guitars really shine, providing some Avenged Sevenfold style epicness without the suck.
This track highlights the band's growth as songwriters, as well as the bands perseverance in the face of adversity. I for one am super excited to see where this band goes. If you like Ghost, you'll love this, and if you don't like Ghost, much like myself, you still might love it!
Watch for the track to drop tomorrow on https://www.facebook.com/witherfangband/
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