Country of origin:United States
Location:New York, New York / Washington, D.C.
Status:Active

Formed in:2016
Genre:Ambient/Electronic, Melodic Doom Metal
Lyrical themes:N/A
Current label:Unsigned/independent
Years active:2016-present

DISCOGRAPHY

I Full-length 2017
The Ghost of John B Single 2017
They're Hanging Me Tonight Single 2017
II Full-length 2018
When a Dark Age Comes, Hold the Light Inside Single 2019
To Disappear and to Be Nothing Full-length 2019 1 (75%)
Everything Is Worse Single 2019
Poltergeists I (single version) Single 2019
III Full-length 2019
Doom II Full-length 2020

current line up

Matt Kozar Guitars
See also: Brave, ex-Forty Days Longing
Suvo Sur Violin
See also: Brave, ex-Forty Days Longing, ex-Seraph
Greg Schwan Bass, Guitars, Keyboards (2016-present)
See also: ex-Forty Days Longing, ex-While Heaven Wept

REVIEWS

To Disappear and to Be Nothing
Witnesses
Type:Full-length
Release date:March 18th, 2019
Catalog ID:N/A
Version desc.:Limited edition, Digipak

1. A Game of You 07:23
2. Consummatum Est 09:27
3. Sohn 01:58 instrumental
4. A Statue Floats Downriver 05:50
5. When a Dark Age Comes, Hold the Light Inside 08:06

Recording information:

Guitars recorded at Feedback Studios in Chantilly, VA.
Drums recorded at Bill’s Place in North Hollywood, CA.
Mixed at The Oak Lodge.
Mastered at 9250av.

Its Birthplace Unknown - 75%
Twisted_Psychology, November 11th, 2019
Seeing how Witnesses’ first two albums consisted entirely of electronic ambient music, it wouldn’t be unfair to think of To Disappear and to Be Nothing as a debut of sorts. Those roots certainly play into the melancholic mood and mellowed out performances, but the style is more directly drawing from prog and doom metal. The aesthetic isn’t too far off from the likes of a less fuzzy Warning or Khemmis with hints of Katatonia for that extra sadboi flavor.

The band’s knack for layering instrumentation carried over nicely when changing genres. The drums and guitars set up a bleak foundation, the former setting up some atypical patterns while the latter puts in blunt riff work and somber leads. The vocals are also solid, offering more power than the almost alternative timbre initially lets on. It’s also nice to see the extra instruments from their non-metal efforts stick around; the violin is always tasteful, and the saxophone on “A Game of You” is a nice touch that I’d like to see more of.

There isn’t much room for variation with five tracks and a half-hour runtime, but the songs manage to be solid. “A Statue Floats Downriver” may be the easiest to feel out, putting in To Disappear and to Be Nothing’s most straightforward, guitar-heavy arrangement. “Consummatum Est” and “When a Dark Age Comes, Hold the Light Inside” are the most drawn-out ventures, the former making the most of its string-heavy bookends while the latter lapses into the album’s most mournful dirge.

Overall, To Disappear and to Be Nothing offers a unique take on doom that would benefit from further development. The tasteful instrumentation and commitment to a melancholic mood can make for a stirring listen in the right mood, but the songwriting doesn’t make such a deep impression. It isn’t quite a transitional album in the conventional sense, but one can imagine these elements being put to even greater use later on. In the meantime, I have to give them props for having the gall to make such an extreme leap of faith.

Highlights:
“Consummatum Est”
“A Stature Floats Downriver”

Originally published at http://indymetalvault.com