More often than not, it only takes me one full listen to grasp a band’s sound, and then I’m ready to review. However, I’ve grappled three times with Eternal Oath’s “Wither” because this Swedish album is much denser than it appears. Having said that, I can now move on to tell you that the troupe’s been around since ’91, and projects melodic gothic/death metal. And, furthermore, comparisons to Dark Tranquillity, Opeth, and Slumber are definitely warranted.

All the tracks seem unusually focused, which is a good thing. “Behind Tomorrow” envelops Eternal Oath’s soundscape to a tee, cause there are atmospheric keyboards churning about while distortion-filled riffs complement punchy growls. Melody enters the song at the 2:00 minute mark, and is easily distinguishable. “Death’s Call” is slightly more electronic in nature – clean vocals can be unearthed here. “In Despair for My Sins,” however, can’t be considered a thoroughbred. The gothic side of the band manifests itself at the beginning of “Godsend” due to the piercing piano melody, among other elements. Lamentably, “Wither” starts to slow during compositions such as “Second Life,” “Within My World,” “Act of Fate,” and “On Bitter Wings”; nothing new is presented on any of the aforementioned tracks.

Thankfully, “Fallen Virtue” is a fine exemplification of what the guys can do: excellent piano covers the instrumentation while the power-hungry riffage chugs away. Everything turns sinister at the 2:45 minute mark…much to my delight. “At Your Hands” proves to be just as strong as its counterpart by introducing Dark Tranquillity-esque melodies at the 2:15 minute mark, which are punctuated by adept drumming and minimal effects. “A Face in the Crowd” and “Wither” bring the record to its end, but not as strongly as I had hoped they would.

After listening to “Wither” many a time, I must confess that the band’s fifteen years in the music business is quite evident. Eternal Oath aren’t going to debunk every band in this subgenre, but they’ve definitely made a stride towards carving their own niche. This is a strong compendium, and simply traipsing through will not do it justice.

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]