Witnesses - IV (Album Stream)

Written by: The Administrator

If, dear reader, you possess a preexisting familiarity with Witnesses, you already are aware of three unshakable truths:

Firstly, Witnesses writes very good atmospheric doom metal. Secondly, when not writing very good atmospheric doom metal, Witnesses writes equally good atmospheric ambient music. Thirdly, today's Witnesses album in question is not a new release--in fact, it saw the light of day back in February of last year. But that was in mere digital form. On Friday the 18th, IV will be released in the vinyl form it deserves. As such, we are streaming it today in celebration, and in hopes that a few new fans find their way into the comfortable fold. 

More talk later. In the meantime, listen to IV in full below. We'll meet ye, as always, on the other side.

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IV is an immersive journey, and a welcome one at that. Although highly evocative in terms of providing the soundtrack to a snow-speckled and misty mountain'd soundscape, IV is never dreary or distant. Rather, it feels paradoxically warm, grounded, and damn near inviting across the breadth. It is built for narrative interpretation, and the scenery is as vivid as one requires. If you've ever fanaticized about launching an adventure through the wild and the unknown wilderness, the cinematic flair that IV brings will inevitably appeal.

A true strength of the composition is the willingness to keep individual ideas brief. Rather than leaning into the atmospheric tendency to draw things out, Greg keeps each of the 20 track herein very focused. As such, the album as a whole does not dawdle, and the smart inclusions of saxophone, soft vocals, or plucky guitar, for example, shine through vibrantly. There is a notable lack of tedium across IV, and that is no small feat for a genre tag that all-to-oft calls to mind "background music."

Says Greg in regards to the impending vinyl release: "The Witnesses IV vinyl release is very special to me because I think this work is best-suited to it out of anything I've done. It has a very broad range of collaborators and a lot of personal meaning behind it. The master is really spectacular and the presentation is beautiful. If you check it out, I hope you enjoy it!"

Couldn't agree more. On that note, check it out here!

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