Norwegian progressive metal band, Withem, are set to release their sophomore album, The Unforgiving Road.

Inspired by the likes of Symphony X, Pagan's Mind, Dream Theater, and Circus Maximus among others, Withem started in 2011 when Øyvind Voldmo Larsen (guitars) and Ketil Ronold (keyboards) met the gifted drummer Frank Nordeng Røe. Soon they were joined by the voice talent Ole Aleksander Wagenius. While on the debut album bass duties were taken care of by the special guest Andreas Blomqvist from Seventh Wonder, now the band has Portugal-born Miguel Pereira fully integrated as the bassist in their lineup.

Withem’s music incorporates elements of progressive metal, symphonic metal and straightforward heavy metal. Creative virtuoso musicians, together with the unique vocal abilities of Ole Aleksander Wagenius, give the band a much-needed distinctive touch to stand out in the progressive metal scene.

The band states: “We were overwhelmed with the reviews and reactions we received worldwide on our first album, and we couldn’t wait for the next Withem chapter to take place. We pretty much set a goal for a follow-up soon after ProgPower USA 2014. Soon after we started the writing process, and entered the studio in January 2015 to pursue that “difficult second album”. We are extremely happy that we could join forces with Frontiers Music Srl and The Unforgiving Road will hopefully leave our listeners with a smile on their faces. We tried to stick to our guns when it comes to keeping a strong melodic approach to each song, while taking advantage of the unique abilities of every instrument. Overall we feel that the sound and production has evolved into an even more mature and modern landscape and we can’t wait to share The Unforgiving Road with our friends and fans!”

More details including release date and shows will be revealed in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, check out some older tracks from the band: