Kev Rowland When I first heard the second album from this American progressive/power metal act I was instantly reminded of Iced Earth, especially the period when Tim Owens joined forces with Jon Schaffer. It was only on reading the press release that I realised that main songwriter, guitarist Jake Dreyer, has been a member of that band for the last few years as well. Was he chosen for Iced Earth as he was already performing and writing in that style, or has his day job rubbed off on him? Either way, this is an album which fans of Schaffer are going to be very interested in indeed. Both he and singer Joseph Michael (Sanctuary, Midnight Reign) have been there since the beginning in 2013, and are showing no sign at all of slowing down.

The one thing that does let them down at times is the consistency and quality of the material, but there is no doubt at all that these guys can play, and drummer Steve Bolognese may have only joined in 2017 but his experience with the likes of Ross The Boss shines through. Michael has a great range, able to power up and hit high notes quite easily with no loss of force, and the guitars are huge both in the riffing and shredding stakes. But even after playing this album multiple times, all I can ever remember about it is when it finishes is that it reminds me of Iced Earth, but without the depth in quality when it comes to material. Good, but certainly not essential.

Kev Rowland Based out of Los Angeles, Calif., Witherfall is the collective brainchild of guitarist Jake Dreyer (Iced Earth, Kobra And The Lotus, White Wizzard), singer Joseph Michael (White Wizzard) and the late Adam Sagan (Circle II Circle, Into Eternity). The recording line-up is rounded out with the addition of acclaimed bassist Anthony Crawford (Allan Holdsworth, Virgil Donati). Adam Sagan passed away on December 7th, 2016, during the final stages of production, and the rest of the band have released this album in tribute to him.

This doesn’t sound like a debut, but also doesn’t sound like a project. This is a band where everyone is kicking in out at full blast. Adam was obviously fond of his double bass drum pedals, and used every opportunity to show them off, while Anthony calmed down his more progressive and fusion influences to tie it all together and let the other stake centre stage. Jake is a fine guitarist who knows when to riff, when to shred, and when to double-track his lead lines, but can also bring an acoustic guitar into the mix for a few bars when it is the right thing to do. Then on top of it all we have the vocal prowess of Joseph Michael who can calm it down when it is necessary, or can power through like Ripper Owens if that is the right thing to do.

Prog Metal? Power Metal? A mixture of both? Well, they have more in common with Stratovarius than Dream Theater, but it is the polish, professionalism and power that really makes this album shine. It is impossible not to fall in love with on the very first time of playing, and repeated listenings only make it that much better. This is definitely worth seeking out.