Saturday 5 May 2018

WMN (Women) - S/T (Album Review)


Release date: May 07th 2018. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

WMN – S/T – Tracklisting

1.ELECTRIC BATH ATTENDANT
2.52 YRS AN IMBECILE
3.WEEP NOW IN THE MIRE
4.DROWNER
5.COUNT AS FEMALE
6.FRWLL

Review

WMN return after a three year absence with their new album. If you're new to world of WMN then be prepared for a heavy as heck Noise/Punk/Sludge Metal journey that can be quite hard work at times. If you're already familiar with the band then WMN have gone a moody and slightly dramatic makeover. Gone are the upbeat Sludge/Stoner Rock vibes that appeared on their earlier releases. Now the band is embracing their dark and moodier personas.

Opening track – Electric Bath Attendant - is a Noise Rock/Punk driven affair with the doom and sludge metal elements appearing on different stages of the song. The vocals are more boisterous than WMN's previous records. The whole mood of the album is bleak and unsettling at times. WMN experiment with their sound and long-time fans of the band maybe slightly put off from the drastic change of sound from WMN. The song becomes very creepy with harsh growls, angry lyrics and weird psychedelic sounds. Though the music can be quite catchy at times.

Second track – 52 Years An Imbecile - is one of the albums strongest tracks with WMN focusing more on aggressive melody than the Punk influence that can be heard on other songs. The song is played at a very slow pace but this allows WMN to play a different style of music compared to the opening track.

The band have included a couple of songs on this album that act as a brief break from the more epic tracks that WMN have included on the album. These songs last for under two minutes and most of them are completely crazy with a wide array of different distorted sounds. Other good songs to check out are: Drowner and FRWLL. FRWLL runs for almost nine minutes and perhaps the standout track on the album.

The gloomy and depressing Punk Rock sound of the album never waives and WMN feel like a different band compared to their earlier releases. You may need to be in a certain mood to listen to this album but there is one thing you can never call WMN and that is BORING. Nothing is what it seems on this album.

Sure I miss the upbeat riffs the band created on their earlier records but I admire WMN for creating something different. If you're a fan of Eagle Twin's earlier albums then WMN are the band for you. As with multiple listens I'm beginning to discover heavy distorted drone metal sounds that I missed originally.

So give this album a chance. It won't be for everyone but there is bound to be an audience out there for WMN. Overall, WMN have released a deeply disturbing and hugely entertaining album.

Words by Steve Howe

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