Album Type:
Album
Date Released:
14th
November 2014
Label:
Self Released
Thanatos –
Track Listing
1.Trips'n'Trucks
2.What's In Your
Head?
3.Devil Got Me
4.Feed My Affection
5.Thanatos
6.I Am Tarantula
7.Mr. Pestizid
8.Sleepy Hound
9.Found A Lie
10.Self-Destruction
11.Your Undying
Memory
Bio
WHALERIDER’s
sound is massive, tuned lower than the basement, defies convention,
and is at times reminiscent of early SUB-POP bands such as TAD and
SOUNDGARDEN.
70's
psychedelic rock has also left its mark on the band. WHALERIDER
manages to find a balance between songs that are variously
challenging and catchy.
Members
Sahba
Yadegar-Yousefi: lead/rythm guitar
Max Feibel: vocals,
bass, sounds
Patrick Auch: rythm
guitar, backing vocals
Daniel Schwarz:
drums
Review:
So
what do we have here? - Thanatos. The debut album from Whalerider. A
band that have a strange and original sound all of their own.
Whalerider are very much an experimental band as they play different
sounds through the almost 60 minute running time of their debut
album. Whalerider describe themselves as an Alternative/Sludge Rock
Band. Sure that is one way to describe them but there is so much more
to Whalerider's sound than that brief description. They also add
elements of Grunge, Hard Rock, Stoner, Doom, Ambient and even
Post-Metal on the album for one crazy complex ride.
Opening
track - Trips'n'Trucks - is an 63 second ambient based track packed
full of glitches and noises which may give you the impression that is
going to be a Doom/Post-Metal album of some sort. Well things can be
very deceiving. Wait until the 2nd song - What's In Your Head -
starts. A blistering song that feels like a classic 90s grunge track
with some hazy doomy riffs and vocals setting the scene for the next
5:30 mins or so. It sees Whalerider paying homage to their musical
heroes while forging own identity with a beautifully written and
subtle track before unleashing heavy riffs that will knock you out
cold.
Though
be aware as Whalerider start to experiment with their sound and add
different noises to the mix though not until the later stages of the
album. Before then the band carry on with the alt-metal/sludge rock
sound on 3rd track - Devil Got Me - with influences of TOOL or A
Perfect Circle starting to make their way to the surface. It's a
highly passionate and exciting song that takes a while to get going
but when the fast-paced riffs appear then there is no turning back
for one exciting and action packed ride. It may take a few listens of
the album to detect the Sludge/Stoner vibes but they are there. They
are hidden in the complex maze that Whalerider have created here for
you to solve. Though you maybe to busy enjoying the wild complex ride
to care what the album has in store for you.
For
the 4th track song, - Feed My Affection - Whalerider unleash one of
the albums epic tracks which run past the 8-minute mark. It's a
slow-burning track that sees Whalerider combine Alt-Metal sounds with
a darker Sludge Rock atmosphere to provide a thought provoking tale
that brings back memories of 90s Soundgarden. Whalerider take the
song into another direction around the 5 minute mark by adding dark
doom and gloom atmospherics with epic riffs to cushion the blow. You
may think reading this album review that I may of lost control of my
senses but trust me when I say Whalerider have created a complex
sound that is very hard to describe. The vocals have a slight
off-kilter indie rock feeling that actually works for this track. So
Whalerider should be applauded for doing something different. The
last 50 seconds or so ventures into ambient rock territory with beats
and glitches making you question - What did I just listen to.
Up
next is the title track - Thanatos - A 9 minute plus trippy psych
rock track that sees Whalerider finally brings the Sludge Rock sound
to the centre of the album. It's a loud and adventurous take on a
Sludge/Stoner Rock song with crazy vocals to match. The lyrics have a
dark meaning to them which gives the album a more unsettling feel.
Tantric and Eastern Noises lurk in the background before an soothing
post-rock melody that slows the mood right down. This sees vocalist -
Max - lay down some impressive soulful and emotional vocals to give
the album real emotional depth. It's a brave decision to take the
album into this darker post-metal direction as it's a very different
sound to the earlier songs. This has to be the albums standout track
that shows you the full power of what Whalerider is all about.
Whalerider change direction once again with the more direct and
fast-paced hard-rock song - Tarantula. It's more of a straight-up
instrumental rock affair with Whalerider enjoying the musical freedom
around by playing some epic jam-based riffs.
The
25 second interlude of Mr Pestizid only acts as brief rest before the
heavier sounds arrive. Sleepy Hound is a slow-paced emotionally
charged track with the band laying everything on the line with
ambient noises and sounds playing in the background. It leaves you in
a sad reflective state for the next 5 minutes or so. While I applaud
the band for writing a track like this I would of excluded it as it
slows the mood right down. Though never fret as Whalerider return to
form with the anthemic - Found A Lie- which adds more of a Tool-esque
vibe to turn the mood progressive and slightly reflective. It's
another one of the albums standout tracks where Whalerider unleash
their dark musical vision for everyone to experience.
The last two
tracks - Self Destruction and Your Undying Memory - sees Whalerider
venture once again into darker moods as they add a lot more doom and
gloom atmospherics to the mix which even ventures into Drone
territory. The album ends on a emotionally cold feeling that you
wouldn't expect on album such as this. Whalerider should be applauded
for doing something different with their sound. Thanatas is an
outstanding debut album. Whalerider are a band to keep an eye on in
the future.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Whalerider for the promo. Thanatos will be available to buy on
November 14th 2014 on CD/DD.
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