Reviews: Deftones, Ward XVI, Nasty, South Of Salem (Alex, Simon, Liam & Matt)

Deftones: Ohms (Reprise Records) [Alex Swift]

We begin on a creeping synth melody, which gives way to a violent, apocalyptic riff. Chino’s signature screams are heard above the chaos, serenading between beautifully melodic and starkly violent, in harmony with the mutable instrumentation. This Is Genesis – the opener of Deftones’ 9th full length, Ohms. Already we are granted that sweet surreal quality which this act perfects, in various shades across their storied career. There is no act truly like them – don’t misunderstand, there are plenty of acts who they have inspired and I’m sure many who inspire them and on this new album, they continue to allude the listener with the cerebral blend of hetty darkness, immersive soundscapes, and overall command of emotion. Firmly in the tradition of creations in the vain of White Pony and Diamond Eyes, there's a combination of atmospheric ambiance and arresting aggression satiating this experience.
Perhaps the strangest quality about Ohms its skill for exploiting strange textures in creating that sense of impending doom. 

The electronics reverberate off the saturation of guitars and the sentimental mystery of our frontman's cathartic croons. Ceremony collapses serene qualities in with a lurking dread. It's insatiably memorable but disquietingly so, the decorative harmonies and swelling character, executed beautifully by the performance of every musician. Urania starkly contrasts a lacerating personality, with the blissfulness of an act collectively having an out of body experience. Emanating a writhing industrial feel, Error feels like an expedition through these musicians' vast creative palate, as we drift from moments of impassioned serenity to sections of erratic anger, the instrumentals coalescing into a maelstrom of sensations, each distinct from the last! The Spell Of Mathematics proves as complex and multifaceted as the title implies, the tension fused composition playing out like a score from a film, as the song moves from scene to scene, each with a different emotional core or message. With this obscure, capricious sense of hypnotizing etching its way throughout, this is firmly a record to be absorbed and comprehended. 

Still, lend your time and patience and you will find different elements to explore with each sitting. Take the enigmatic ballad of Pompeii. On first immersion, this is another striking piece in the pantheon of deeply affecting Deftones tracks. Later, you notice the nuances, the effects, and embellishments which sliver in the background, as well as the lyrical allusions to the decay of ancient civilizations as an analogy to our own. It’s a challenging record for sure and upon writing I’m still not certain I’ve ascertained everything. A cut as enticing as This Link Is Dead may bear all the associated qualities, as far as you can say that for this act, yet carries a cornucopia of darkness and otherworldliness which transcends that of past accomplishments. Radiant City is akin to an experiment in the qualities of time perception, with the ever-changing signatures confounding the listener in a way that is both fascinating and enchanting with the way the tempo changes blend into one another creating a sensation of racing through the different experiences in life at inhuman speed. Headless stands as equally entrancing with the stimulating investigations into divergence, often defying our expectations in unique and illustrative ways. 

Finally, we come to Ohms. I didn’t understand at all why they decided to name this as a single in the admittedly sparse promotional campaign. That said though, I kind of understand why in hindsight. This song synthesizes the dramatic weight of Ohms into one massive juggernaut of a song, which is firmly in the tradition of Deftones while also being strange and a puzzle to decipher. Poignantly, this work acts as a soundtrack to our degrading times. It doesn’t provide much sign of hope yet illuminates the beauty in moroseness, allowing the listener to feel less isolated in their solitude. 8/10

Nasty: Menace (Century Media Records) [Liam True]

As much as I like the Hardcore genre it is a bit repetitive and stale lately overusing the beatdowns and call outs and the horrendous barking from new bands (Thankfully there’s none here). But Nasty have somehow taken the standard Hardcore noise and turned it into something that sounds overused, but fresh. The beatdowns are still there. The call-outs are still there, but somehow it seems new and never done before. The four piece have created something interesting about the album and I can’t put my finger on it.

From opener Ultimate the band kick it into full gear as you hear police sirens and helicopters before vocalist Matthi snarls and the band hit hard and heavy before the breakdown begins igniting the fire that’s soon to inflame the next 30 minutes. With guitarist Paddy creating the sickening guitar tone and bassist Berri to back it up with a foundation shattering tone. Drummer Nash keeps the pace of the band and uses it wisely to conduct the choreograph the heavy as balls breakdowns throughout the album. While not being the most fresh sounding album it’s clear Nasty have got a talent about them, but they just need to find a groove for themselves to not be labelled as another standard Hardcore band. But for now Menace is a brilliant piece to add to the list. 7/10

Ward XVI: Metamorphosis (Metal Rocka Records) [Simon Black]

Three short years ago and this Preston-based Shock Rockers were on the New Blood stage at Bloodstock presenting hungover early birds with disembowelment, murdered bassists and the odd chainsaw massacre whilst people could still taste their morning toothpaste. It’s a shame, but for many bands who get that far that performance can be the last anyone sees of them, so it’s heartening to see a band move beyond that on this the eve of the release of their second album. I’ve not heard their first disk yet, but clearly it’s garnered them a lot of respect. I remember a discussion with an A&R guy at a label in the 90’s commenting that bands have ten years to write their first album and that following that up is a challenge that many fail to meet. Ward XVI however seem to be about to pass that next hurdle with ease, as the quality of this record is absolutely top notch.

As a reviewer it presents me with a challenge, as not being familiar with The Art Of Manipulation I have the double whammy of a concept album that’s actually a prequel to that first album. Both disks revolve around the alter ego character of singer Psychoberrie, with this one exploring her past and childhood (and my what a clever album cover to illustrate the point). It does so to spooky effect with one of the most haunting and effective moods I have heard on an album in a long while. Concepts are ten a penny in the Power and Symphonic genres, so it’s easy for bands to fall into a stereotypical and clichéd trap once the spoken word intros and horror movie tropes start to come into play, but not here. Not this band. Here they really work, creating a world that is both believable and disturbing, making the forty-nine minutes of run time pass in a blur. And the clear winning touch? That I kept on playing it, because this story hooks you in effortlessly like a good Stephen King novel.

I’m going to avoid running through the tracks in detail here, as to get the best from this record you just need to listen to it and let the story unfold around you. I will call out the tracks Broken Toys, Imago, the insanely manic Catch Me If You Can and the cracking finale Shadows, with some subtle and well used guest turns to add to the sense of operatic scale that would be worthy of the mighty Avantasia.
Judging by the footage out there, Ward XVI are clearly an incredibly visual and theatrical experience live, and with no tour to support this crucial album this band like so many have a challenge, as this record deserves to push them up a level. Musically this is a very theatrical piece rather than an out and out Metal album, with the music supporting the story rather than the story being spliced into a particular musical genre. The storytelling is massively helped by a clear and emotional vocal delivery and an absolutely cracking quality of production. This sounds like a band really heading somewhere and I for one want more. 9/10

South Of Salem: The Sinner Takes It All (Self Released) [Matt Bladen]

Apparently South Of Salem have supported acts such as Iced Earth, The Damned, Wednesday 13, and The Birthday Massacre in previous incarnations but all this experience has resulted in South Of Salem's debut album The Sinner Takes It All having the 'modern metal' trappings of bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and Black Veil Brides, so think faux-spooky imagery, anthemic heavy rock with a metal flair and lyrics that deal with greed, manipulation, corruption, abuse drawn from personal experience  "because all the band members have been to hell and back with our lives in recent years" according to frontman Joey Draper. 

The songwriting here is aimed directly at the Download Festival market, with imagery and lyrical angst that will endure them to the hordes of youngsters that hang around outside Blue Banana on a weekend (is that still a thing?) but an ear bothering catchiness that will also appeal to their dads. As it progressed I really struggled with this album especially when they slow things down on the maudlin Demons Are Forever which apparently features The Defiled/Red Method Keyboardist/Samplist The AVD, though he doesn't really add anything that I can hear. There will be a huge market for this album I'm sure and expect to hear more from them in the future but for me the a only thing that would make this album, that is a play on words of the ABBA classic song, a little more enjoyable. Would have been an altered lyrics cover of that song. 5/10