9th November 2023

Review: “Wither” by Old Wharf

A black spot in our vision since 2019 when they were a five piece wrecking machine, Wolverhampton Slamming Beatdown Deathcore collective Old Wharf have continued to defy the odds stacked against them like gambling chips at a casino and keep churning out the high grade Semtex level material with alarming regularity. They have never created sonic abrasions for the faint of heart and their bleak description of this record as “Depicting the lowest form a human can take before they totally break, a demonstration of darkness and depression & a haunting narration on grief” doesn’t suggest that anything is about to change. Currently a three piece comprising original members in vocalist Hayden Shemilt and drummer Sam Davies plus guitarist Dan Tait who joined in 2022, “Wither” marks EP number three for the Black Country beasts…

A somber and sobering title track and introduction piece, “Wither” builds from meloncholic piano through delicate orchestration with almost cinematic quality before the air of Black Metal is carried through on the breeze. Shattering that momentary illusion with a Brutal Slamming Deathcore breakdown and some demonic vocals from Shemilt, the band flip the hourglass on its head, revealing their true beastly nature in powerful fashion before opening cut proper “Dread“. Having done the artful introduction, this one goes straight for the jugular with riffs that cut like barbed wire and a cleverly layered vocal so that Shemilt can add shriller parts to his demonic lows. Cleaner uncleans with lyrics that don’t require a magnifying glass to read are mixed in with not only Slamming ones in which his throat becomes an instrument but also the kind of vile shriller tones that float between Death Metal and Black Metal extremes. Add to that the crushing weight of the Downtempo breakdowns that pile up like American pancake stacks and you’ve got a enough explosive force to bring down tall buildings in a single moment.

“Abyss” takes a leaf from the Bound In Fear book as a bouncy brutal Deathcore masterclass with sinister and menacing dark moments of pure evil wrapped around the thoughts of Shemilt like a Boa Constrictor. He vents cathartically in throat splitting fashion before an ethereal moment of synth seemingly finds them with visions of Symphonic Deathcore in the vein of Draconian Reign. Weather that’s something flirted with for just this record or something that the band evolve into remains to be seen but it works incredibly well here as it’s by no means overpowering of their core sound. Chugging and churning “Malignant” goes back to basics in vicious fashion while having a sweeping blackened solo that adds a new flavour. A fleeting moment of programming and some downtempo groove adds to the apocalyptic soundscape and you can’t help but marvel at the sonic diversity Old Wharf display here. Devin Duarte of Worm Shepherd fame joins them for “Sombre“, which continues their love of a guest with a cut that has the most feral of vocal sounds. Dark and destructive, the soundscape they’re cut against also has a haunting melody that raises the hairs on the back of the neck before the finale makes you question if it was all simply a nightmarish vision brought on by mindless self indulgence in narcotics… [7.5/10]

Track Listing