Where Shadows Dwell – Into The Abyss
Release Date: 31st October 2023
Hailing from Yorkshire we have the upcoming EP from metalcore band Where Shadows Dwell to bring you today. Four tracks of self-produced heaviness with guest vocalists (as listed in the graphic below) on each song, with just the two chaps making all the rest of the noise.
EP opener ‘Realm Of Sorrow’ features Italian vocalist Eric Castiglia and brings everything that’s worked well with the Killswitch style of metalcore to the table. Frantic guitars kick it off and vocals that stretch from raw cleans to delightful growls. The first track on the record has just that right level of garage vibe, mixed with some lovely clean guitars in there too.
‘Time To Die’ appears next and pulls you towards hard rock initially, with Silent Rick’s guest vocals bringing cleaner elements alongside the growls here too. A juxtaposition that works well where unrefined drums connect with powerful riffs. A suitably fun development on the EP and leads perfectly into ‘Demons’ and the subtlest of starts on track three. Eresseie guests here and her vocals add a new layer not found elsewhere on the record, a heartfelt meaningness to the words. ‘Demons’ feels like a song with a story that reaches a huge crescendo after nearly six minutes before plateauing and leaving a sense of contemplation at the end. ‘Won’t Back Down’ is the rightful end of this piece. Four minutes of riffs and our mate Castiglia back on the microphone too. This end goes back to the symbiotic relationship between cleaner guitars and raw vocals, after the epicness of the previous song, ‘Won’t Back Down’ does struggle a little to raise the level again, but it’s a powerful end to a fun introduction to Where Shadows Dwell.
Just having the two of them in the band permanently doesn’t show at all here as four tracks of high-intensity metal is delivered to a satisfying level and is well worth the twenty minutes of your time it will take to spin this one. Get ready for a nice little Halloween treat.