New Music Review: WYTHERSAKE ‘At War With Their Divinity’

WYTHERSAKE 'At War With Their Divinity' - COVER PHOTO

Rating: 9 / 10 Stars

WYTHERSAKE is: Gabriel Luis (vocals/guitar), James Siegrist (guitar), Cody Bowen (bass), Daniel Salamanca (drums)

REVIEW – With the release of their highly anticipated sophomore full-length ‘At War With Their Divinity’, Washington D.C.’s WYTHERSAKE takes a massive step forward—delivering 12 unrelenting tracks of spiritual rebellion, ritualistic violence, and transformative defiance. Out March 21, 2025 via Scarlet Records, this album isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s a blackened-death metal reckoning wrapped in philosophical warfare.

Since their formation in 2016, WYTHERSAKE has carved out a distinct identity, merging the melodic sophistication of 90s Scandinavian black and death metal with the relentless brutality of the American extreme underground. Their 2021 debut Antiquity laid the foundation for what was to come: expansive, cinematic arrangements, intricate musicianship, and lyrical explorations of spiritual resistance and inner awakening.

That same creative fire burns even brighter on ‘At War With Their Divinity’. The album opens with the blistering “Purity Through Non Existence”, a three-minute detonation of blast beats and venomous riffs that sets the tone immediately. “Bloodlet The Lepers Created” and “Dancing Plagues Of Modern Man” follow with cold precision, blending sinister melodies with scathing critiques of spiritual rot and cultural collapse.

The title track, “At War With Their Divinity”, is a centerpiece—both musically and thematically. From the sweeping compositions to the commanding vocal presence of Gabriel Luis, it’s a calculated invocation of divine opposition. Every track pulses with searing conviction—“Devour The Throne Of Grace” and “Gotterdammerung” deliver punishing energy, while “The Autumnal Passing” offers a moment of introspection without sacrificing the weight of the message.

What makes this album stand out is how deeply its philosophical foundation is woven into the music. WYTHERSAKE doesn’t just flirt with blasphemy—they dissect it. Their lyrics delve into Gnosticism, apostasy, and personal enlightenment, serving as an act of rebellion against blind obedience and inherited spiritual narratives. Tracks like “Shrines Of Offal Rise” and “Chimerical God State Worship” are violent rituals wrapped in intellectual liberation. It’s blackened death metal built to elevate, not just annihilate.

The final act of the record—“Agents Of Holy Death”, “Behind Shadows Of Virtue”, and “Perverse Christ Aeon”—brings it all to a climactic close. Bleak, bombastic, and unrelenting, this triad of destruction proves why WYTHERSAKE is one of the most vital bands in extreme music right now. They are not just creating sound—they’re crafting catharsis.

‘At War With Their Divinity’ is a sonic weapon and a spiritual awakening. Equal parts brutality and beauty, the record is a declaration of war against dogma and a call to self-empowerment. With this album, WYTHERSAKE doesn’t just hold the torch for blackened-death—they set the whole temple ablaze.