It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and mostly that’s true. Wayfarer lean a lot towards the sounds of their peers in the uniquely American atmosphere that they bring to their debut album, and while they have some beautiful moments of melody and intensity, they’re ultimately a little flat.
The Earth Only Endures is a fine start with a gorgeous guitar line threading through the opening moments, yet the record as a whole begins to feel stale, a bit too much ‘we’ve heard it all before’, and the dynamics between the softer sections and the harsh ones are a little too clinical in their approach – more Cascadian-black-metal-by-numbers than the band probably aimed for.
It’s a shame, because Wayfarer do have something – they just need to figure out exactly who they are. And who they are is definitely not Alda or Destroy Judas or England’s Winterfylleth. Children Of The Iron Age is a good start, but the black metal world will forget it in a hurry./o:p
