Withering Surface – Exit Plan
Mighty Music Records
7,0/10,0
Brief:
Exit Plan is the 6th studio album from WITHERING SURFACE following the success of the 2020-comeback album Meet You Maker. The process of the Exit Plan album was long and challenging with various recording session, line-up changes, producers and on top of that all the obstacles with Covid and post-Covid. The fact that the band’s engagements with Copenhell and various other festivals in 2020 were postponed two years to 2022 could easily have killed Withering Surface that was making a comeback after 15 years in slumber. Instead, all efforts were put into the making of Exit Plan. An album where both songwriting and lyrical concept appear stronger than ever for the band. Topping this is the production by Soren Andersen (Medley Studio), mainly known in rock and hard rock circles for his work with artists like Thundermother, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Glenn Hughes. Soren Andersen was not the obvious choice of producer for a melodic death metal band but ended up being the perfect match for Withering Surface anno 2024 delivering a huge over-the-top sound.
Exit Plan is about breaking boundaries and norms that have been set for one. To put a mental period and start over. To get complete clarity about where you are and are going and want to end = Exit Plan. Song titles include Where Dreamers Die, Mindreader, You Hurt This Child and I Finally Lost (All Faith In Humanity) and are all with a lyrical foundation in the aforementioned outlook on life, sex, shame, religion and a fading view of humanity.
Exit Plan is a lyrical extension of its predecessor Meet Your Maker, where a religious meeting with the higher powers made the protagonist realise that there is no help to be had from anyone but the person himself. That you stand alone. That the only one who can help you is yourself. Cold cynicism and power do not go hand in hand with charity. Forget the norm and anything that doesn’t work for you. No excuse, no blame. You are not a social experiment. The thanks you get when you’re gone are worthless and remember one of man’s greatest qualities is to repress.
Tracklist:
- [Enter]
- Exit Plan
- Where Dreamers Die
- Not The Destination
- The Oracle
- I Finally Lost (All Faith In Humanity)
- Denial Denial Denial
- Finish What You Started
- You Hurt This Child
- Mindreader
Main Focus Tracks:
- Where Dreamers Die
Other Recommended Tracks:
- Exit Plan
- Not The Destination
Line-Up:
Allan Tvedebrink – guitars
Michael H. Andersen – vocals
Jesper Kvist – bass
Marco Angioni – guitars
Troels Lund-Sørensen – drums
All drums on “Exit Plan” performed by Jakob Gundel
Comments:
With Exit Plan, Withering Surface have produced an opus tinged with highly effective death thrash metal that is as powerful as it is melodic. Inoxydable!
Contacts:
Video:
Selected Discography:
Scarlet Silhouettes – 1997
The Nude Ballet – 1998
Walking on Phantom Ice – 2001
Force the Pace – 2004
Meet Your Maker – 2020
Exit Plan – 2024
Photo Credit: Lena Angioni