As Time Turns to Dust

The majesty of metal bands utilizing orchestras and symphonies has long since departed. What once was a special occasion or opportunity to enrich a band’s musical forte is now a routine, and, in some cases, the only card in the deck worth playing. Long story short, the gimmick is gutless, and you had better get busy writing substantial tracks that aren’t going to make a career out of leaning on the symphonic crutch. The main reason I like Whyzdom is their ability to write songs that are captivating and poignant, yet not at the sacrifice of the bombastic traits one would expect with a whole symphony at their disposal. Their “Blind?” album has remained on my listening rotation since it was released, although I did not care all that much for “Symphony for a Hopeless God.”

“As Time Fades to Dust” is more of the same. A style this open-ended, however, has the potential to blaze infinite creative avenues, especially considering the breadth of tone Whyzdom employs. The riffing style appears devoid of any real imagination on the surface, seeming to blend into the usual stop-start sequences and such that usually make up this kind of thing. There are, however, decent riffs hiding beneath the symphonic cyclone that are not detectable with just a single listen; one of the core elements of Whyzdom’s blueprint is to hide secrets in plain sight, usually taking several listens to unearth. The album is dependent on the symphonic factor and its capability to add color to these songs, understandably.

Again, the importance of songwriting in making this succeed cannot be stressed enough. The record’s success is found in the symphonics, which control the ebb and flow of each track. There is an abundance of variety given the songs are all rooted in the same philosophy yet manage to branch out nonetheless. Their general tone is quite dark, and dark, as we know, is suggestible in the right hands. Identity within each track strikes a different chord of Whyzdom’s manner. “Armageddon,” for instance, is a roiling march of doom with thundering symphonics and a sinister choir layered overtop, all augmented by the metallic background. Something like “The Page” is mournful and subdued, but the effect is not lost. They still have the knack to write catchy choruses and hooking leads and melodies as well. I have bits of these songs stuck in my head days after giving this a spin.

Marie Mac Leod, Whyzdom’s vocalist, adapts as well to the tone shifts. She sounds fantastic belting out the heavenly chorus of “Free as a Bird,” adding gloom to the apocalyptic “Armageddon,” or contributing to the album’s lighter numbers. I do not remember her having as much force on the last Whyzdom album, but she makes her presence known here. “As Time Fades to Dust” has bravado you can almost taste and attention to detail that oozes from its pores. Whyzdom knows how to avoid the artistic pitfalls seen almost everywhere, and instead leaps over the gimmick by pure substance alone. They are a breath of fresh air compared to what has now become the industry standard of symphonic metal bands, and about on the same level of quality as the niche’s royalty.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com