Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Wake in Providence, A - I Write To You, My Darling Decay (2024)

Before their 2024 album, A Wake in Providence was known as the band Will Ramos was in before joining Lorna Shore. Both bands toured with each other when Will was still with the former. They both released an album in October 2022, and it's obvious which one shook the world. A Wake in Providence thought they would try to up their game with something more epic and operatic.

Well I wouldn't say A Wake in Providence is that competitive, yet it really seems like these symphonic blackened deathcore Staten Islanders are trying to level themselves up in their 14-year career. The band consisting of vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarists D’Andre Tyre (also doing clean vocals and orchestrations) and Jorden Felion, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny thought they would make a more bombastic follow-up to 2022's Eternity for greater success. And yes, there's a lot of the fire and fury of Lorna Shore and Chelsea Grin, but is it as perfect as Pain Remains? Let's find out...

"The Maddening" begins with epic cinematic orchestra that then bursts open the deathcore gates, as Adam's demonic growls greatly contrast with D'Andre's cleans, just like how the brutal guitars collide with those orchestrations. "Mournful Benediction" keeps up the perfect balance this band has between melody and heaviness. Drum blasts, symphonic keys, and a guest vocal appearance by Shadow of Intent's Ben Duerr make the song guaranteed to be an eternal epic deathcore hit. "Agony, My Familiar" is a spooky piano/strings interlude. It segues to the head-ripping "Agonofinis", another blackened deathcore storm as the crushing riffs and blasting drums continue shooting through the ears of all who's listening.

"And Through the Fog She Spoke" will stun you through more of this epic clean/harsh structure. "In Whispers" makes the deathcore much more grim than it already is, once again mastering the orchestrations and drums. Then we have an epic deathcore hymn in the title track, perfect fitting Adam's vicious growls together with the overall sound.

As compelling as "The Unbound", unfortunately it ends up sounding a bit generic and pompous, already leaving me head-scratching by the end of it. The vicious "Pareidolia" again has insane drumming and vocals, though at this point, they've gotten a little stale. It's not until the final track "I, The Mournful", when the blend of brutality and melody reaches its much needed climax. Demonic vocals, guitars, bass, and drums connect with orchestrations and clean/soprano vocals for practically "In a Sea of Fire 2.0"!

Deathcore combined with symphonic black metal elements is something that certainly won't be dying out too soon. I Write To You, My Darling Decay shows A Wake in Providence sounding extreme and metallic while at the same time sounding melodic and orchestral. It's all good, though I think it would be a lot better if they could've dialed back some of the pompous orchestrations in a few songs and give a couple tracks towards the end greater improvement. Nonetheless, deathcore is becoming darker and more demented, and metal instrumentation isn't the only thing needed for that evolution....

Favorites: "The Maddening", "Mournful Benediction", "And Through the Fog She Spoke", "I Write To You, My Darling Decay", "I, The Mournful"