Withdrawal has been busier in the last two years than most bands are in double that time. Honest to goodness, it’s true–just take a gander at their Bandcamp: four releases since this time in 2023.
Never forget that Withdrawal is that band, always has been, and they should be one of your favorite international hardcore bands on top of it. “International” so as to avoid a frozen north cliche, especially in contrast to the desert-dwelling heavies in Territory with whom they share wax with today.
Hope is Disease/Paranoia is Salvation, Territory’s first output in nearly a decade and Withdrawal’s newest split after last year’s joining with the almighty Krieg, is a monstrous offering of metallic hardcore not seen in what seems to be ages. Dark ages, really, as Withdrawal spawned during a time when hardcore and its immediate adjacents were just that; dark. It was an esotericism that bled from the monoliths of bands like Integrity and Gehenna, formed in symbol and sound that rolicked murderous throughout late aughts and early '10s.
“Musically, Withdrawal's inspirations on our side remain the labyrinth songwriting of Catharsis, the bloodlust of Gehenna and the punishment of All Out War,” vocalist Adam said of Withdrawal’s myriad inspirations for their half of the split. “Lyrically, we just want pitch black negativity and on these songs the topics are: the juxtaposition of the beauty and decay of exotic flowers (with our apologies to Charles Baudelaire and Octave Mirbeau), wanting to eat a bullet while you talk to a co-worker in everyday life, and the intersection between the unknown and addiction.”
Pardon the brief history, but the emphasis on this lineage is important to understanding just how cool bands like these two outfits are. To have both on one release again feels like a lost relic of the A389 Recordings catalog (who, coincidentally, just did a merch revisit of another Tucsonan band, Sex Prisoner, and their album, Tannhauser Gate).
In pulling back the point, Withdrawal was emblematic of all those elements, just listen to their A389 7” and personal favorite, Faith, Flesh & Blood, or their impeccable debut album, NEVER. That has not changed with their personal wellspring of material, especially on today’s premiere,
“Withdrawal and the members of Territory crossed paths in many various forms, many years ago around 2010-ish. It was one of those encounters where you just realized they were different from the other bands going on at the time,” embellished Adam on their shared history. “They were way ahead of the curve... They championed No Surrender-era Kickback in a depressing era where everyone wanted to be the next Expire clone, long before it was fashionable or "cool" and every mosher-come-lately had a Hell On Earth reprint.”
“More so than that, they shared a kindred distaste and negative outlook. I'm glad to have them as co-conspirators on this split with their first recorded output in nearly a decade. It seemed like a great fit and Scobie at Dropping Bombs has been down with us for a while.”
In reply to the same question posed to Territory’s Ryan Bram for their premiere last month, Adam added his favorite anecdotes about the former’s half of the split: “Personally, I can't decide which song of Territory's I like best. 'Bent Knee' is a total crusher, but 'Into the End' might be the best stuff they've written and to my ears there are some Godflesh and sketchy French BM riffs. Merciless stuff.”
***
Hope is Disease/Paranoia is Salvation is now available for pre-order here.
Tagged: withdrawal
