REVIEW: Whereafter – ‘blessed & depressed’

Over these last few months, Atlanta’s Whereafter have been busy crafting and developing a distinctive direction in which to call their own. Taking cues from the raucous atmosphere of 90s alt-rock and adding in a edge of post-hardcore influences throughout, the band have created a wonderfully progressive aesthetic that both pays homage to the icons of the past, while also offering up something new and interesting for today’s scene. And with the buzz around the release continuing to grow, they deliver their eagerly-awaited debut album ‘blessed & depressed’, a record that cements those productive ideals to date.

Opting to mix their thunderous rock material with these atmospheric interludes gives ‘blessed & depressed’ an instantly intriguing aura. Delivering a heady blend of soaring guitar hooks and more grizzled production as it plays, Whereafter look to unleash this truly powerful energy at every opportunity, making for a wildly enjoyable and exciting listen from start to finish. While they are certainly ones to wear their influences firmly on their sleeves, there is still plenty of originality and ingenuity laced throughout here, giving ‘blessed & depressed’ a firm and focused direction to boot.

It may still be early days for their tenure right now, but the sheer tenacity of this new material gives us high hopes for their career in the years ahead as well. Recruiting drummer Kellii Scott of influential 90’s alternative band FAILURE not only adds that professional element to their sound, but proves they have what it takes to go the full distance as well.

Whereafter’s debut album ‘blessed & depressed’ will be available to stream from the 22nd February.