Withering Scorn is something of a "super" group, made up of Shawn and Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth, among many others), Joe Dibiase (live Fates Warning), and Henning Basse (Metalium and a host of others). Their debut album, Prophets of Demise, is something of an odd release for Italy's Frontiers Records, which typically sticks with melodic and power metal, along with many rock bands. It contains a lot of muscular power/thrash with some '80s-style progressive songwriting elements. Tracks like "Pick Up the Pieces" and "Never Again" boom from the speakers like Painkiller-era Priest or perhaps Reverend, replete with throat rending screams and buzzsaw riffs. It isn't all overdriven guitars and redlined vocals, though. The opening to "Prophets of Demise" has an early Queensrÿche vibe, circa Warning/Rage, and my favorite track, "Eternal Screams," starts with a simple, pensive guitar line and haunted vocals that are broken up by some excellent lead work from Glen Drover. Honestly, every musician on Prophets of Demise is a pro, but Drover's guitar work is the star. Whether he's delivering a crushing riff or a vintage DeGarmo/Wilton lead, he shines through every time. I think the variety of Prophets of Demise serves it very well as it isn't just esoteric noodling or wall-to-wall aural assault; rather it balances the impact of both into a truly enjoyable listening experience. If some classic metal from the second half of the '80s by Judas Priest, Queensrÿche, Reverend, and the like sounds appealing, Withering Scorn is a band to check out.