Thanks to all our fans and friends. We cannot wait to celebrate with you all when the world resumes...
Angry Metal Guy
On third album, Curse of Autumn all this talent is on vivid display as the band rips through wild, adventurous prog-power anthems tailor-made for fans of Symphony X and Nevermore.
Sonic Perspectives If you're not already following this band, start yesterday, because it's clear that they're going places.
MetalSucks
Their brand of progressive power metal has a granite-hard edge to it - more Amerithrash than Eurocheese. The emotional core remains intact even as the runtime pushes the hour mark.
Metal Injection
This is a band with the technical proficiency of Dream Theater but the aggression and bombast of 3 Inches of Blood.
GhostCult
Back with their third full-length release, Californian act Witherfall return with prog guns blazing... excess and pomposity are all part of the majesty of prog so just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Today US dark melodic metal masters WITHERFALL have released “A Prelude to Sorrow”, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017’s “Nocturnes and Requiems”. Listen to the album in its entirety HERE.
Watch an unboxing video of “A Prelude To Sorrow” HERE.
The media reaction to the album has been nothing short of extraordinary:
"A Prelude To Sorrow" provides the listener a cathartic release through some of the most mesmerizing music I have ever heard. The savage brilliance of this album is stunning
-9.5/10 -Metal Wani-
One of the most talented acts in metal; check this out and be impressed
-Angry Metal Guy-
The turmoil of WITHERFALL‘s chaotic, highly technical and dramatic performance is as impressive as ever.
-Distorted Sound Magazine-
-5/5 Metal Hammer.de-
I implore you listen to ‘A Prelude to Sorrow’ so that you too can share in an album that is as moving as it is memorable, as emotional as it is engaging, as intelligent as it is intimate and that is as heavy lyrically as it is musically. In short, it’s a sonic tour-de-force.
- 9.8/10 Man of Much Metal-
A Prelude To Sorrow" is one of the recordings of the year.
-Rock Hard Greece-
‘We are Nothing’ and ‘Vintage’ being the shining stars. Both songs are 11 minute compositions reminding of the best, progressive metal offered till today.
-9/10 Markusheavymusicblog-
WITHERFALL understand how to package perfectly negative emotions in such a way that a large whole emerges. Despite the blows of fate (or maybe just because of that), the band grows beyond itself. Actually, it cannot get better.
- 9/10 Hell-fire magazine-
8.5 / 10 Joseph Michael’s powerful voice belongs to the best of the genre.
-ROCK HARD (Ger) Soundcheck #9-
-AARDSCHOK (NL) Soundcheck #3-
90 / 100 A blasting album where technique and vibe fit perfectly together!
-LORDSOFMETAL.NL-
9 / 10 – WITHERFALL have delivered an impressive follow-up
-BURNYOUREARS.DE-
Magnificent!
-9/10 Rock Tribune (B)-
‘A Prelude To Sorrow’ overwhelmed me upon first listen and has enough interesting details to keep surprising me"
-Gitarist (NL)-
Bolstered by a clear, crisp recording, this album is an essential listen for any heavy/power/progressive metal fan.
-Wonder Box Metal-
On “A Prelude to Sorrow”, main songwriters Joseph Michael (vocals, Sanctuary – live) and Jake Dreyer (Iced Earth) succeeded in perfectly combining the group’s technical proficiency with an appropriate eerie and somber atmosphere, manifesting also in Kristian Wåhlin’s majestic cover painting. “A Prelude to Sorrow” was mixed and mastered by Chris “Zeuss” Harris. (Sanctuary, Queensryche, Iced Earth)
The album is available as a Limited Edition Digipak, jewel case CD (US only), gatefold 2LP plus poster and etching on Side D as well as digital album.
US dark melodic metal masters WITHERFALL will release the highly anticipated follow-up to 2017’s “Nocturnes and Requiems” on November 2nd, 2018. The band reveals more details about this stunning new offering:
“A Prelude To Sorrow is a concept record, though not in the sense that most people have come to know the form. Ours is not a story where each song acts as a chapter. The inspiration lays in the supremely dark reality that was the passing of our drummer and one of our best friends Adam Sagan. These songs are raw emotional reflections, composed in the witching hours under the influence of wine and sorrow, while watching and helping our friend fight and ultimately lose his battle with Lymphoma. Nocturnes and Requiems was dedicated to Adam after the fact. A Prelude to Sorrow is written specifically about his and our personal tragedy. Like Nocturnes and Requiems the songs have been arranged to still have the peaks and valleys that any great record should. With “Prelude” these peaks just might be a little steeper and the valleys might be a little deeper, alternating between violence and beauty. The titles initials are an acronym for “Adam Paul Sagan”, He came up with Nocturnes and Requiems so we suppose it is kind of fitting that he also inspired this title. Hope he doesn’t come knocking on our door for royalties. We hope that this will be a fitting requiem for our friend and talented musician.”
Given its tragic background, main songwriters Joseph Michael (vocals, Sanctuary – live) and Jake Dreyer (guitars, Iced Earth) succeeded in perfectly combining the group’s technical proficiency with an appropriate eerie and somber atmosphere, manifesting also in Kristian Wåhlin’s majestic cover painting. For mix and mastering, WITHERFALL again worked with Chris “Zeuss” Harris (Sanctuary, Queensryche, Iced Earth).
An album artwork trailer can be seen here: https://youtu.be/-P18I1viXGA
The “A Prelude To Sorrow” track list can be viewed below:
WITHERFALL – A Prelude To Sorrow
1. A Prelude To Sorrow (1:21)
2. We Are Nothing (11:15)
3. Moment Of Silence (6:50)
4. Communion Of The Wicked (6:35)
5. Maridian’s Visitation (3:30)
6. Shadows (7:03)
7. Ode To Despair (3:51)
8. The Call (3:52)
9. Vintage (11:06)
10. Epilogue (2:53)
The album will be released as Limited Edition Digipak, jewelcase CD (US only), gatefold 2LP plus poster and etching on Side D as well as digital album.
The following limited vinyl colours are available:
Hey guys JM here. Jake and i have been working on new music and as usual it is pretty twisted and dark while still remaining melodic and meticulously composed. For now we have some Killer Witherfall - Nocturnes and Requiems album artwork stickers available. Paypal .50 cents for shipping to info@witherfall.com and i will send you a couple. Stay tuned for updates!
“Witherfall have everything going for them: superb chops, a keen sense for melody, an excellent grasp on songwriting and the ability to tie all that together into a package that sounds like wholly their own.”
-Metal Sucks-
“What a magnificent gift this was to us, the fans of Metal. Rest easy, Adam, for you and your band mates has come up with what could be one of the highlight releases of 2017.”
-Hard Rock Haven-
“Nocturnes And Requiems is a must buy for fans of great technical metal.”
-Sea of Tranquility-
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 lineup is rounded out with the addition of acclaimed Bassist Anthony Crawford (Allan Holdsworth, Virgil Donati).
WITHERFALL will release their debut "Nocturnes And Requiems" this February 10th! But before they do, the band has teamed up with Loudwire for a full album stream of "Nocturnes And Requiems". Head HERE to listen to the entire new album and check out an exclusive interview with the band.
A few weeks ago i was in Utica, New York (my hometown) and got some tattoo work done with the lovely and talented Jessica Poczatek of Nevermore Tattoo Collective... The sheet music in the artwork includes music from the song in the Video Clip released a few days ago...
Here is a small video clip of the festivities along with a new snippet of another song. It has an onslaught of #alternatepickedsextuplets from Jake Dreyer... If you listen closely you can hear Bassist Anthony Crawford tapping one of the arpeggios in unison.
My good friend and Musical Partner Witherfall & White Empress Drummer Adam Sagan is going through Chemo and Fighting Lymphoma... A couple of Good friends are putting on a concert in Minnesota to help defray the costs of his treatment... I will personally be flying out to help support the cause...Also,any Profits from sales on this site until the event will be donated to the Fund as well... You can shop here...
It's understandable if you cannot make the trek for the event but you can also Donate directly Here:
For those that will be in the area here is the Facebook Even Page... The Event is on Thursday March 10th....
" A gathering of all that is Metal for a great cause!!! Helping out a damn good friend, amazing musician, and all around good guy, Adam Sagan. As most of you know, he was diagnosed with cancer November of 2015. After learning of his cancer, I immediately went into action to put together a benefit to help raise money for medical costs and other expenses. But why would it be a typical benefit?!? Adam is not a typical human. He is a fucking beast!!! And he is a musician whose passion for his craft superceeds most. This is a gathering of his favorite local metal bands ready to melt our faces off and rock the fuck on, as Adam has done since his diagnosis. Adam will kick cancer's ass and the Metal community will be there to keep encouraging him to keep on kicking. So let's do this shit!! Bands are as follows:
Every Year around this time i post the Music I did with Multi-talented Singer/Artist/Craftswoman Ave Rose...
The Videos for Starting Over and God Rest Ye... are holiday favorites around here. This year we also would like to share with you Ave's TV work on Steampunk'd! Check out the Videos below and when done Check out Ave Rose at: http://www.averoseart.com
Hey there,i'll be producing another shred-tastic CD for Paul Sternquist again. This time around i will also be co-writing and singing on a few tracks... so stay tuned... Here is a track from his first record Dark Matter...
"Tempest" an instrumental composition featuring Strings and Piano Written by Joseph Michael and Featuring Violin stylings by Alma Cielo can be streamed on youtube and Purchased HERE:
