Woe - Withdrawal
So, I finally get to experience the group Joey Lawrence wouldn’t shut up about on that lame sitcom. Truth be told, this hasn’t been an actual group all that long. Beginning as the one-man project of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Chris Grigg, on the first four releases —a demo and split in ‘07, a split and full-length in ‘08— Woe was him. It wasn’t until 2010’s sophomore LP Quietly, Undramatically that his Black Metal vision began to blossom (HA!) into a full band. Again, Withdrawal is my first time hearing them, but I’d be willing to wager that the transitional process has been a rough one for Grigg. I’m counting seven different members in five years, with two drummers and two bassists already getting the boot. This current quartet —rounded out notably by guitarist Ben Brand (Tombs), drummer Shawn Eldridge (Disma, Funebrarum), and Grzesiek Czapla (a multi-instrumentalist in his own right)— shows definite signs of competently gelling, but there’s still some work to be done. About one-third of the time, Woe dazzle and slay the listener with a scattered bevy of Bad Ass Hall of Fame-worthy riffs and arrangements —the left-field Thrash attack on “Carried by Waves to Remorseless Shores of the Truth,” and icy, melodic blast furnace of “All Bridges Burned” immediately spring to mind— but that other two-thirds is so boring you forget you’re even listening to music. I think they try to do too much, which is a common hindrance with USBM bands. The incorporation of too many different elements and vibes until all that’s remembered is a chaotic, jumbled mess. For instance, “Song of My Undoing” opens with a wicked Burzumesque stomp, then briefly turns into a Post-Metal ballad before disappearing into a swirling maze of throwaway riffs at constantly varying speeds. Similarly, “Exhausted” begins with a raw Punkish energy that is quickly dissolved by a blur of blastbeat autopilot, awoken only by an all-too brief burst of Agallochian reflection. Grigg’s Blackened scream is basic but effective, and while I certainly don’t mind the occasional clean-sung bits, they rarely have the impact they should. They’re in desperate need of refinement, then again that’s par for the course here. I’d like to hear the music reflect the abject misery poured onto Grigg’s lyric sheet more often than it does. Less is more, and more is less when it comes to Negativity worship. Woe has unlimited potential, but Withdrawal’s overall lack of cohesion makes for a frustrating, unbalanced listen. Honestly… what other rating could I possibly give this?
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