By: Richard Maw
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 19/10/2012
Label: Season Of Mist
There are some oddly mechanical/synthetic production touches here and there but they do not distract and make the record rather unique. Utterly modern, clinical, efficient... all words to associate with this band. There are sinister intros, blasts, stops and starts, even sludge on occasion. The vocals project the sense of frustration and confusion that the music requires. Indeed, the album is so labyrinthine that the listener is fully dragged into the band's capricious sound.
“Voyeur” CD//DD//LP track Listing:
1. Origin
2. Vertigo
3. H(a)unted
4. Terrifier
5. Of Fear and Total Control
6.Temple
7. The Black Lodge
8. Beyond Life and Death
9. To the Villains
10. Krycek
11. Scopophobia
12. Catacombæ
13. Epiphany
14. Dolph Lundgren (bonus Will Haven cover)
15. To the Villains (bonus demo version)
2. Vertigo
3. H(a)unted
4. Terrifier
5. Of Fear and Total Control
6.
7. The Black Lodge
8. Beyond Life and Death
9. To the Villains
10. Krycek
11. Scopophobia
12. Catacombæ
13. Epiphany
14. Dolph Lundgren (bonus Will Haven cover)
15. To the Villains (bonus demo version)
War From A Harlots Mouth is:
Simon Hawemann | guitars
Paul Seidel | drums
Nico Webers | vocals
Filip Hantusch | bass
Daniel Oberländer | guitars
Paul Seidel | drums
Nico Webers | vocals
Filip Hantusch | bass
Daniel Oberländer | guitars
The Review
War From A Harlots Mouth start their fourth full length album with cellos and then bring in the chugging sound that many metalcore bands offer up. “Vertigo” then changes abruptly, though. Make no mistake; this is not your average As I Forbid Lambs To Fall (make up your own multiple word band name) metalcore release. The time changes come thick and fast and the time signatures are indeed mathematical. There are fifteen tracks on offer here- albeit that there is a bonus and a demo version to fill out that number. Some are dense, some spacious, all expertly produced and oddly listenable- particularly through headphones. You can immerse yourself and the album flies by. All the instruments can be heard well- the bass in particular has a lovely ring to it. The riffing is of a consistently high standard with rhythms being tossed around with ease- it is not easy to play stuff like this as a unit. The whole fretboard gets used well with the twin guitars working with each other at all times. That is not to say that the record is melodic, per se, the sounds here are largely atonal- and yes jazz does rear its head into the mix often.
There are some oddly mechanical/synthetic production touches here and there but they do not distract and make the record rather unique. Utterly modern, clinical, efficient... all words to associate with this band and- forgive the cliché- their homeland. Cellos and strings reappear for the instrumental interlude “Beyond Life and Death” while the album goes into overdrive for “To The Villains” (the demo version bookends the album). WFAHM know how to use dynamics and the classic “riffs with space” idea that made Helmet so effective way back when. The album ebbs and flows- even within one track there are many changes of feel and mood. There are sinister intros, blasts, stops and starts, even sludge on occasion. The vocals project the sense of frustration and confusion that the music requires. Indeed, the album is so labyrinthine that the listener is fully dragged into the band's capricious sound. Clean vocals are used very sparingly- only when the music requires it. Cellos close the main body of the album before the bonus Will Haven cover “Dolph Lundgren” kicks in.
Superb musicianship, solid production and variety are the calling cards of this album. DEP, God Forbid and more extreme musical terrain are all echoed here- try it and see.
“Voyeur” is available here
