From the ashes of the blasphemous black and roll band Heathens rose a phoenix known as Wildernessking. Last year, Heathens released a single entitled Morning, hinting at the new musical direction they would be taking under their new moniker. The Writing of Gods in the Sand is Wildernessking's 7-track debut album.
Vocalist/bassist Keenan Oakes' screeching vocals provide a powerful opening to Rubicon, the first track. The bass lines firmly anchor the song, while the guitars harmonise beautifully. A guitar solo of melancholic beauty graces the ear later on. Discovery has a slower tempo and sparser sound, the latter of which creates a picture of an empty wasteland. The overall sound then thickens as the bass and vocals explode in. A galloping instrumental interlude ushers in a faster tempo, with a great guitar solo. I found myself very moved by this song - the acoustic guitar part, coupled with a deep-sounding drum beat added to my feeling of pathos, as did the sadness-infused bubbling of the second solo. Overall, this album has a deeply moving quality about it. Ending off the song was a piano accompanied by more bubbling guitar notes. Great rapid drumming and harmonised guitars introduce River. This rock-esque track is a definite headbanger. Utopia's introductory passage has dirty-sounding, distorted guitars. Somewhat staccato rhythm guitars lead into a slow interlude with a solitary guitar and crackling background sounds. The guitars then pick up a gallop, and the full band comes thundering in. Spoken words are layered with a black metal rasp, making for an interesting contrast. An echo-filled solo is joined by a counter-rhythm, creating another example of effective layering. Sorrow saturates Surrender. The droning guitars echo almost-forgotten cries for help. The song's slower tempo also contributes to the sorrowful mood. At the fade, the lead guitar lets forth the musical equivalent of a deluge of tears. The nature themes in Wildernessking's material show themselves not just in the lyrics and sound, but in the vocals as well - Oakes' voice reminded me of a wild wind throughout the album; I imagined the type of wind that howls angrily during a storm.The pace picks up again on Reveal, with its booming drums. Guitar counter-rhythms (an element which I like to hear in black metal) appear once more. This song feels like a giant wave racing across the ground. The haunting solo has an ethereal, echoing sound. The Writing of Gods in the Sand ends off beautifully with Infinity. The track begins with a delicate acoustic guitar passage. A melancholy march begins as the other instruments join the guitar. The guitars lead into a faster paced section which soars. This part of the song is given extra punch from the rumbling bass - it's not often a bass part catches my ear. The acoustic guitar returns to close off the song, ending the journey into a stunning aural wilderness.
As the album finished playing, I sat transfixed for a few seconds. A shiver rolled down my spine, like a wave rolling onto a winter shore.
Vocalist/bassist Keenan Oakes' screeching vocals provide a powerful opening to Rubicon, the first track. The bass lines firmly anchor the song, while the guitars harmonise beautifully. A guitar solo of melancholic beauty graces the ear later on. Discovery has a slower tempo and sparser sound, the latter of which creates a picture of an empty wasteland. The overall sound then thickens as the bass and vocals explode in. A galloping instrumental interlude ushers in a faster tempo, with a great guitar solo. I found myself very moved by this song - the acoustic guitar part, coupled with a deep-sounding drum beat added to my feeling of pathos, as did the sadness-infused bubbling of the second solo. Overall, this album has a deeply moving quality about it. Ending off the song was a piano accompanied by more bubbling guitar notes. Great rapid drumming and harmonised guitars introduce River. This rock-esque track is a definite headbanger. Utopia's introductory passage has dirty-sounding, distorted guitars. Somewhat staccato rhythm guitars lead into a slow interlude with a solitary guitar and crackling background sounds. The guitars then pick up a gallop, and the full band comes thundering in. Spoken words are layered with a black metal rasp, making for an interesting contrast. An echo-filled solo is joined by a counter-rhythm, creating another example of effective layering. Sorrow saturates Surrender. The droning guitars echo almost-forgotten cries for help. The song's slower tempo also contributes to the sorrowful mood. At the fade, the lead guitar lets forth the musical equivalent of a deluge of tears. The nature themes in Wildernessking's material show themselves not just in the lyrics and sound, but in the vocals as well - Oakes' voice reminded me of a wild wind throughout the album; I imagined the type of wind that howls angrily during a storm.The pace picks up again on Reveal, with its booming drums. Guitar counter-rhythms (an element which I like to hear in black metal) appear once more. This song feels like a giant wave racing across the ground. The haunting solo has an ethereal, echoing sound. The Writing of Gods in the Sand ends off beautifully with Infinity. The track begins with a delicate acoustic guitar passage. A melancholy march begins as the other instruments join the guitar. The guitars lead into a faster paced section which soars. This part of the song is given extra punch from the rumbling bass - it's not often a bass part catches my ear. The acoustic guitar returns to close off the song, ending the journey into a stunning aural wilderness.
As the album finished playing, I sat transfixed for a few seconds. A shiver rolled down my spine, like a wave rolling onto a winter shore.
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