ALBUM REVIEW: Wake, "Devouring Ruin"

By: Josh McIntyre

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 27/03/2020

Label: Translation Loss

“Devouring Ruin” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Dissolve And Release
2. Kana Tevoro (Kania! Kania!)
3. This Abyssal Plain
4. Elegy
5. Mouth Of Abolition
6. Paean
7. Torchbearer
8. In The Lair Of The Rat Kings
9. Monuments to Impiety
10. The Procession (Death March To Eternity)

The Review:

Calgary’s Wake has certainly proven themselves to be a band that doesn’t want to repeat itself. Their sound has always been a bit more varied than others and with 2020’s “Devouring Ruin” it is made absolute that Wake cannot be defined as just grindcore or even deathgrind as they pull from other heavy subgenres more than ever before. The result is their strongest LP to date.

Wake is still incredibly aggressive, but we have more variance than ever. The average song length has increased dramatically (earlier, more strictly grind albums had songs that rarely reached three minutes) giving more time for riffs to twist and turn as they travel across time. Track three, “This Abyssal Plain”, is just one example of drastic tempo changes as it starts with a fury before being suddenly slogged down into a more doomy and atmospheric approach. These songs are unpredictable and that makes them all the more interesting, whether they be two minutes long or ten and a half.

Musical ideas are aplenty and Wake isn’t running out of gas anytime soon. Blasting grind with thrashy riffs are as prevalent as melodic doom licks. The riffs for “In the Lair of the Rat Kings” are especially disgusting, pulling from the Artificial Brain/Gorguts world. Hell, there’s even a great guitar solo on “Mouth of Abolition” and I usually detest guitar solos. In short, there is plenty of time to have your face ripped apart on this album but the juxtaposed moments of euphonious purpose give it the clarity needed to be a grand extreme metal record.

Wake’s refusal for stagnation has set them apart from their peers. After a handful of LPs and shorter releases they continue to grow and stay musically curious, a rarity for an extreme band over a decade old. They’ve gradually moved from a more grindcore oriented group to one that brilliantly fuses different elements of metal to create music that is able to be simultaneously violent and downright ravishing. 

“Devouring Ruin” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with Wake [Calgary, Alberta]

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 23/02/2018

Label: Translation Loss

“Misery Rites” is a standout contemporary extreme metal record one of the most punishing heavy music albums of the year so far.

“Misery Rites” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Exhumation

2). Misery Rites

3). Embers

4). Rot

5). Paradigm Rot

6). Exile

7). Rumination

8). Bitter Winter

9). Burial Ground

The Review:

Canada’s most complex grindcore band returns with “Misery Rites”. Taking a lot of what the band had previously done on “Sowing the Seeds of a Worthless Tomorrow”, and further pushing elements of black and death metal. The album is one of the most punishing heavy music albums of the year so far.

From the very start, the record opens on a different path. The sludge riffs on “Exhumation” would make Primitive Man proud. In true grind fashion, however, the album is still full of blast-beats. They are interspersed with moments of dissonant death metal riffage; “Paradigm Lost” and “Exile” utilize this structure in a way that make the heaviest moments stand out. This band really excels at building peaks and valleys in its music for the listener.

Drummer Josh Bueckert really stands out on this record. The drum patterns create a lot of surprising twists and turns. The continual motion on tracks like “Burial Ground” showcase a variety in drum patterns rarely heard in heavy music. “Misery Rites” is a standout contemporary extreme metal record that sees this band moving further into other forms of heavy music, and finding their unique sound

“Misery Rites” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: Riffs of Canada with The Weir (Calgary, Alberta)

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 03/12/2017

Label: Sunmask Records

Even though the band's sound is slowly changing, riffs remain as important as they ever have and patience will eventually be rewarded, as the listener is pummelled by a leviathan sized riffs that only The Weir can deliver. 

“Detached” CS//DD track listing:

1). Weak with Rage

2). Below the Surface

The Review:

Calgary’s doom/post-metal giants The Weir return with an extremely bleak EP “Detached”. The Weir have taken away the delay guitar effects for a more raw focus that primarily features noise and plodding riffs. This EP is a welcomed introduction to what is likely to be a shift in sound for the band.

The EP opens with “Weak with Rage”; a slow burn of raw emotion that bludgeons the listener with dissonant riffs. The song is purposely slow to an effect; so slow and heavy that it creates this uniquely painful suspension for the listener. Patience will eventually pay off, however, as the listener is pummelled by a leviathan sized riff that only The Weir can deliver. Even though the sound is slowly changing, riffs remain as important as they ever have for this band.  

“Below the Surface” is by far the eeriest track ever produced by the band. The track is a variation on a theme that quickly develops into black metal. The bands mantra of playing slow and low is thrown out on this track. The Weir have taken this opportunity with “Detached” to experiment with other forms of heavy music. It’ll be exciting to hear where these elements are fleshed out on their next release.

“Detached” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook