Review by Dan Perks
Release date: 31 July 2014
Featuring the remaining line up of As I Lay Dying and vocalist Shane Blay from Oh,Sleeper,, from the ashes of As I Lay Dying rise Wovenwar. Originally created as a kind of super group, after the demise of AILD it became a full time project. This, their debut album brings forward a blend of technical, fast-paced guitar work and huge anthemic melodies. Opening track ‘All Rise’ jumps straight into a blistering guitar solo before the vocal melody brings an undeniably catchy groove. The song builds into a stomping anthem of a chorus that you can’t help but get sucked in to. The whole album continues in this vein, big, brooding melodies and grooves mix with anthemic choruses.
Instrumentally the album is faced paced and full of riffs and licks to excite any guitar fanatics out there. Vocalist Shane Blay does a great job of creating an atmosphere over the guitars, there is almost a 30 Seconds to Mars feel about the structure and ambience. Although there are some similarities between Wovenwarand some of the more commercial alternative music, they have managed to keep some of the edge of the heavier influences in the band.
It’s a rewarding album to listen to, from start to finish the album is solid throughout and there aren’t any filler tracks. Every song is as good as the last, and is well thought out and executed perfectly. At 15 tracks long, it’s rare to find an album of this length these days, let alone one that isn’t full of filler tracks. This album will go down well with fans of everyone from Paramore and 30 Seconds to Mars to fans of As I Lay Dying. It may even become a guilty pleasure for fans of even heavier stuff.
While Wovenwarare set to tour the states as support for Black Label Society and then hit Europe with In Flames including a couple of dates in London and Reading, the album is due for release on 31 July, just in time for payday…
8 out of 10
Track listing:
- Forward
- All Rise
- Death To Rights
- Tempest
- The Mason
- Moving Up
- Sight Of Shore
- Father / Son
- Profane
- Archers
- Ruined Ends
- Identity
- Matter Of Time
- Prophets
- Onward
