Will Over Matter "might of the planet eater" 2xCD
Will Over Matter "9 to the moon" CD
I think I may have said this before, and I can say it again. When you hear many people say they do "old school" or that they like "old school bands", it still is often something quite timeless. Or it seems utterly inaccurate what comes to their work. When you listen to something like MB's "symphony for genocide", it actually sounds such a.. how to say... dated, that it's simply huge task to find anyone, who would have guts to go THAT primitive, that crude.
And this is when Will Over Matter comes into picture. It's one of the bands who is so damn rude and grim, it often borders in the edge of "how someone can still make THIS?". It is the simplest oscillator boxes - not to be confused with "synthesizers" in modern sense. It's the rough clean slow beats of drum machine. It's sometimes vocals with little or no effects. Sometimes talk, sometimes kind of throaty "metal" style. Each CD is maximum length. We're talking of album being complete when disc reaches like 74 minutes limit. And some weaker tracks - just allowed to be there. Often it is not good choice, but in this case, I think it kind of underlines the roughness. The moment, when you really think what the fuck is this? And shouldn't the be some sort of effect to cover dry electronic signals. There are few moments when you could think of bastardized version of Haus Arafna at their simplest of electronic works of Beherit. Musical, yet not really. I listened these 3+ hours of stuff at once, and it is at the same time mesmerizing as it is disturbing and difficult. I would recommend with certain caution. But if you can handle it, it's really unique in current genre.
Bereft / FITH split LP
Not that these bands would be opposite of WOM, but still, from another planet. Bereft has been improving all the time. I remember the early days, when it really was quite primitive and nasty, but now, it still is, but with "professional twist" so to say. Drum machine / loops etc are heavy as fuck. Loaded with bass frequencies and massive reverb. On the top feedbacks and electronics and rough throaty shouted vocals with quite banal working class skinhead slogans. I think the moment when lyrics are in ways of "I will never be shamed to be white", to me, it sounds like singing "I'm not shamed to be man". Of course you're not. But, therefore, it would be nice to have lyrics what cover the issue of being.. well, man or white. What is the "heritage", what is it about being "working class"? Of course, I admit that PE release is perhaps not necessarily demanding lengthy political identity studies, but still it would be better than having merely words that means very little. One could think for example Slave State. With lyrics as simple as "white land - white rule", it would define many things. Or bands like Brethren, who usually discuss some specific theme, not about reducing it to mere "I'm white, I'm proud". But nevertheless, I think this could be if not the absolute best, then at least very close to best Bereft material and those who like for example fellow american's a'la Vomit Arsonist, harder side of FITH, and so on, will welcome this with open arms!
FITH is well known for what it is. It is the heavily layered and very tonal method of synths, with the kind of sound-track-ish polyfonic keyboards included. Cinematic feel is mixed with some rougher noises, but as said many times before. No dirt, no fierceness, no really crunchy. It is well put together and couple of times I now listened it, I could see more success than to most of noisier bands. It doesn't sound that much "computer made", since the transitions from sound to another go pretty smoothly and sounds themselves are well done. There EQ range goes from deep bass to highest crisp. I just hope here would be the loud vocals known from live gigs and for my own tastes - less of the tonal polyfonic synth sound harmony. People who like FITH, will like this for sure. Those who have not, well, probably not.
So all in all, in this LP, there are no surprises, but it delivers what it promises.
