By: Aaron Pickford
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 30/1/2012
Label: Rojek Wizard
Over 40 minutes of unforgiving, incomprehensible and extremely
brutal music, showing a complete lack of human sensibility. This
band punish you from the very first second and is unrelenting
throughout, it does not diminish in intensity for a single
moment. This record is bloody merciless!!
‘Wood’ CD//DD track listing:
1).
Spirit Is Free (8:42)
2).
Close To The Window (6:52)
3).
Shallow Grave (5:32)
4).
Ruthless/Bezlitosne Mieso (11:57)
5).
Stones From A Blank Sky (10:55)
Vagitarians is:
Rutek
| Lead Guitar, Vocals
Piter
| Rhythm Guitar
Sagan
| Vocals
Marian
Odsłuch | Bass
Grabarz | Drums
The Review:
Man,
seemingly when you think you can't hear another great record this
year, given the quality releases we have had so far. Along come Vagitarians to blow the theory completely out of the
water. My god, this record is outrageous, it is just brilliant. Yes,
they're probably not going to win the feminist award for good will to
women, given their controversial name (maybe I'm just a prude), but ‘Wood‘ is outstanding from start to
finish. Over 40 minutes of unforgiving, incomprehensible and extremely
brutal music, showing a complete lack of human sensibility. This
band punish you from the very first second and is unrelenting
throughout, it does not diminish in intensity for a single
moment. This record is bloody merciless!!
At
8:42, ‘Spirit is Free’ gets this album underway in superb form
with a seismic earth shattering slow sludgey riff, incorporating a dropped
bend and then unyielding sounds of the high notes of the second
guitar piercing your eardrums such is their inexorable din. We're only
into the first 1:30 of the track and the variety of riffs is mouth watering,
with influences of sludge and southern rock, with the flow and
interval of notes sounding like something from Down or COC. The opening of the track is
incredible. Vocally there is a mixture of guttural growls and
shrill shrieks which suits the music beautifully, but it is the musicality
and previously mentioned variety of down tuned sludgy riffs which leaves a
lasting impression. The drums sound vicious too, with Grabarz beat
of kick drums, almost distorting under the weight of the sound. At the
5:00 mark the brutal barrage subsides to give way for what can only be
described as a movie soundtrack type soundscape, incorporating various sounds,
which take pride in disorientating and confusing the listener until the tumult
continues like a boot in the face and with the power of blunt
force trauma. The remaining 2:00m plus is a devastating onslaught of
riffs with occasional pinched harmonics adding further variety to their
sound, with the drums subjecting the listener to a succession
of repeated beatings.
Next
is ‘Close to the Window’, with the semi distorted opening
prelude of riffs, ensnaring you in a bear trap vice, until the band unleash the
full force of their arsenal. It must be said that use of electronics is
incorporated brilliantly too. This track is like Kirk Windstein trading
insults with Mike D. Williams, in the vocal department too. The band has
this desert rock vibe to them, which is just another example of the splendour
of this record. There is just about everything you could want to hear on
this record.
‘Shallow
Grave’ could possibly be my favourite track on
the record. It needs to be heard to be believed. Starting with a
classic rock tinged riff, then it goes from that to sounding as if they
have just turned into Pig Destroyer.
Same riff, just As Heavy As A Really Heavy Thing, it is disgustingly
brilliant, hell Scot Hull or the late Seth Puttnam from A.C. could be
screaming on this record, such is the ferocity of the vocal. This is some
of the heaviest stuff you'll hear this year, no doubt about it. The riff
is colossal with the pinched harmonics sounding fantastic.
‘Ruthless/Bezlitosne
Mieso’ kicks off with a bass riff reminiscent to ‘Dawn Patrol’ by Megadeth
and from there, this mammoth 12:00 track is essentially an instrumental
track. It is a relentless, unmerciful track, which is accentuated by the
roaring / screaming vocals from the previous 3 tracks, but it is used sparingly
on the track. This is all about the band flexing their musical and
virtuosic flair, which the band has in spades. Rutek on lead guitar plays
some blistering solos on this track which is some of best I have heard
this year. Again the track just reaffirms how great this band really are
and is another example of the talent coming from Poland at the moment.
The whole band get the moment to shine, brilliant drumming, crunchy riffs,
booming bass and destructive guitar solos, what more could you ask for?
‘Stones
From A Blank Stare’ is
the final onslaught from the band, it is very atmospheric and slow paced.
It is a great finish to an amazing record, throughout the dual vocal
attack sounds menacing and unhinged. It is does not diminish in its
intensity throughout the course of the near 11:00 of the track, again Rutek
blazes out in the track with a stunning guitar solo. Again this
is what I loved about the record, it has variety in abundance on the
track and indeed the record. It is for that reason 'Wood' is without question one of my
favourite albums of month.
You
can buy it here and if you want a CD version of the
record drop them an email which can be found on the Bandcamp page.
