Sometimes, bands still manage to truly surprise you. The American atmospheric black metal project Woe Bather does so convincingly with its third full-length album. While the previous two records fell short in both composition and production, these shortcomings are more than made up for on Swallowed by the Chains of Spirit Loss. What we’re hearing here is a clear step forward — both in songwriting and in recording quality.
From the moment you press play, the album doesn’t take you gently by the hand, but rather plunges you straight into a cold, almost suffocating sonic whirlwind. The opening track — which also serves as the title track — presents itself as a wall of sound, where melancholy, melody, and dissonance collide in an intense listening experience. It’s certainly not easy listening, but for those who are patient, a richly layered soundscape slowly unfolds.
That said, not everything is equally successful. The excessive use of reverb and echo effects on the vocals becomes somewhat monotonous after a few tracks. While it does contribute to the ethereal, ghost-like atmosphere of the album, it also comes at the expense of vocal clarity and dynamic range. A more restrained approach might have made the vocal delivery even more impactful.
Nevertheless, the album features several strong compositions. For instance, the lead guitar motif in Witching Melancholic Majesty lingers in your mind long after the track ends. The unexpected shifts in rhythm and the organically flowing structures make this song one of the highlights. Here, the band shows what it’s capable of: atmospheric, melancholic, yet sharp and captivating.
La Llorona Howl to Me also deserves mention. In this track, Woe Bather opts for a slightly faster tempo, adding a welcome variation to the album. The song breathes menace and despair, just as the legend of La Llorona demands. Once again, however, a more moderate use of vocal effects could have elevated the track even further — as it stands, some vocal lines risk drowning in their own foggy echo.
All things considered, Swallowed by the Chains of Spirit Loss is a compelling album from a band that has clearly evolved. The atmosphere is chilling, the melodies stick with you, and the production lifts the whole to a level far above its predecessors. Despite a few minor flaws — especially in the vocal production — this album undoubtedly deserves a spot in the collection of any fan of atmospheric black metal with a melancholic edge.
With seven tracks that each offer enough variation and individual character, and together span over an hour of playtime without ever becoming dull, Woe Bather delivers a remarkably convincing and mature album. The band succeeds in injecting plenty of dynamics into the atmospheric black metal framework — not just in terms of tempo and structure, but also in mood and intensity. Each song feels like a carefully crafted chapter in a larger narrative, making the album as a whole come across as a cohesive and immersive journey through fog-drenched depths, melancholy, and inner turmoil.
This combination of compositional richness, thematic cohesion, and productional growth makes Swallowed by the Chains of Spirit Loss not only Woe Bather’s strongest work to date, but also an album that easily holds its ground among the stronger recent releases in the genre.
So far, the album is only available digitally, and at the time of writing this review, I’m not aware of any plans for an official physical release. Personally, I believe this album deserves to be released in a physical format.
80/100