Withdrawal

Never

BY Branan RanjanathanPublished Dec 9, 2016

7
Drawing inspiration from '90s metalcore greats like Integrity and All Out War, Withdrawal's latest offering, Never, is a tumultuous, dynamic record that starts with a bang and builds more momentum from there. Blending hardcore grooves with blistering tremolo picking and cacophonous blasts, the Winnipeg unit have put forth a record that builds an oppressive atmosphere across the ten-song set.
 
Bursting out of the gates with breakdown-heavy tracks like "Illusion Surrounds Us" and "Your Dreams Are Dead," Withdrawal establish a weighty sound, but only begin to branch out halfway through the record with the slow-burning track "Tracing Fingers Along Imperfections." Creeping clean riffs establish real atmosphere throughout the song, with subtle squeals and dive bombs filling the space in the background — and it's from this point onwards that the band reach their apex. "The 6th Psalm" stands out as the album highlight, cycling through chugging riffs and dissonant shots before fading out halfway through and returning with a quick buildup to a climactic conclusion.
 
Withdrawal's unique approach to structure and overall tightness as a unit make Never a well-rounded record, never leaning too heavily on its influences but definitely drawing on them enough to pique the interest of fans of the genre.
(Escapist Records)

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