How do you deal with having success torn from your grasp? Between 2001 and 2012 As I lay dying released six acclaimed studio albums and toured relentlessly garnering numerous awards in the process. Then, on May 7th 2013, the whole thing fell apart. Singer Tim Lambesis was arrested on what initially seemed an unbelievable charge of having attempted to solicit the murder of his wife. In the media circus that followed the remaining members of As I lay dying kept a dignified silence, even whilst it must have seemed their world was collapsing around them, and events came to a head when Tim eventually changed his plea to guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison for his crime. The band had not been completely inert during the enforced downtime, however. Initially formed in 2013 as a means of continuing to play music without interfering with As I lay dying, Wovenwar became a full-time band at the time of Tim’s guilty plea and, with Shane Blay (Oh, Sleeper) on vocals, the band set about making an album. Musically the band share a similar heritage to As I lay dying, but with a considerably lighter touch, whilst the band’s stated philosophy of personal responsibility bears testimony to the scars left by recent events.
Signs that the band are operating from a vastly expanded sonic palette are evident from the moment that the haunting, electronic ‘foreword’ introduces the album. A subtle, atmospheric piece of music, it neatly builds the tension before ‘all rise’ unleashes a furious riff that instantly sets the adrenalin surging. Whilst guitars surge with familiar vitality and the drums pound ferociously in the darkness, the vocals are considerably lighter, utilising layered harmonies and melody rather than the outright aggression that typified Tim’s vocal approach and the result is music that is both heavy and yet accessible. Moreover the band themselves clearly feel freer to experiment with light and shade with the result that the overall experience is much more nuanced than that of an As I lay dying album, with Phil Sgrosso in particular seemingly revelling in the opportunity to experiment with programming and samples. ‘Death to rights’ is a full blooded anthem with a Trivium feel, the band neatly mixing bright melodies and taut riffing to powerful effect whilst ‘tempest’ is the full-on assault its name suggests, Nick Hipa taking every opportunity to tear out a solo. Again melody is at the forefront with a stripped-back verse allowing Shane’s vocals to ring out clearly thanks to Colin Richardson’s typically excellent mix, but that’s not to suggest that the band lack power – when the guitars come raging in, the song packs a meaty punch – rather Wovenwar know how to temper that power so as to gain maximum impact without sacrificing the soulful quality that Shane has bought to the fold. ‘The mason’ (released as a single) is a heavy beast melding a more aggressive vocal to a huge grinding riff and you can easily understand why the song was chosen to promote the forthcoming album as it plays to the bands many strengths.
‘Moving up’ again sees guitarists Nick and Phil experimenting with different sounds and textures, their playing holding more in common with the metallic hard rock of Stone Sour than metalcore’s more one dimensional thrust and the result is a song full of light and shade, the musicians pushing themselves to evolve the playing style with which they made their name. Opening amidst a swirl of synth, ‘sight of shore’ is surely another potential single with its strong vocals and addictive riffs whilst ‘father_son’ is one of the album’s biggest surprises, its acoustic guitars and echoing vocal a moment of calm amidst the chrome plated riffs and full-blooded percussion, and you can’t help but admire the band’s bravery in attempting something so far outside of their comfort zone. Moreover, when the riffs do come crashing in over a massed chant of ‘woahs’, you can imagine audiences across the world rallying to the simple imperative to sing along as the band bring the song to its conclusion. ‘Profane’ opens on a sinister riff that soon gives way to a tidal wave of furious percussion and the album heads back into heavier territory, with Nick and Phil once again demonstrating their mastery of their instruments with some supremely tight riffing underpinning another song that is custom made to get audiences singing along. It’s a personal favourite and one of those songs that will stick with you long after the album has left the deck. ‘Archers’ has a very early 00s feel to it as the band juxtapose throat ripping screams and clean vocals, before ‘ruined ends’ kicks into gear with a chorus that jams itself into your brain with little or no warning. Cruising in on the sort of crushing groove that instinctively makes you want to bang your head, ‘identity’ veers between furious guitars and relatively clean verses, before Phil once again indulges his passion for fret-bothering with a short, sweet solo that demonstrates his skill without wearing out its welcome. ‘Matter of time’ sees the album heading towards its end with some powerful riffs and another strong performance from Shane who sounds at his best when straining at the leash. The album draws to its close with the haunting beauty of ‘prophets’, an acoustic track that once again underscores the artistic freedom that Wovenwar has bought to these talented musicians. The album ends as it began, with the echoing synth of ‘onward’ giving the album a feeling of continuity and suggesting the band are already looking forward to their next endeavour.
Wovenwar are a band formed of tragedy and yet they sound both confident and assured. The easiest thing in the world would have been for the band members of As I lay dying to fall back on the music of their former band, rehash the sound, recruit an identikit singer and relaunch. Instead they chose the harder path, expanding their sound and exploring a different side of metal to that with which they made their name. There are those, of course, who will find this offering too light for their tastes, but for those who enjoy melody and aggression in equal measure there is no doubt that Wovenwar’s self-titled debut is a powerful, well played, perfectly produced body of which its creators should be justly proud. The album is not, of course, an unprecedented leap into the unknown – the powerful riffs and taut rhythm work of As I lay dying remains intact – but the band simply feel free to explore a little more and to introduce textures and moods that would never have worked in the context of their previous outfit. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but what is clear is that Wovenwar have taken control of their future and moved forward in the best possible way, and on the strength of this album they deserve every success.
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