Four piece Canadian rock band causing a stir in the independent scene with the release of their album Red, creating some harmonic pop and rock melodies on this 12 track album with many critics finding their sound like U2 but I will have to agree to a certain point I think they have a great sound more progressive than most bands in this genre with some fantastic vocals and catchy radio tunes, the lyrics have a real deep poetic touch to them very close to Inxs and Simple minds this is one group with the potential of becoming a force to be reckoned with in the music scene …superb stuff
Back in the late 80's early 90's, there were several collaborators trying to fuse metal and rap music, with varying degrees of success. Anthrax teaming up with Public Enemy, Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park, Beastie Boys and Faith No More but it was all very schizophrenic and often the results were mixed, either a car crash or brilliant. That was until one Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, almost single handedly killed the whole genre off by dragging its cedibility through the mud. More recently a new breed of (repackaged as rap-core) metal/rap fusionists have energed with impressive results. Gone are the crowbarred together bands and not-one-thing-or-the-other experiments. Look at artists like Korn, Kid Rock or P.O.D who straddle metal and urban rap with consummate ease and the popular re-emergences of Rage Against The Machine and the newly reborn Linkin Park. Warm Wax from Dublin have embraced the genre and do it fantastically well. Blending metal riffing and guitars with funk bass lines and punk-rapped lyrics. Its a brave shout because its would be all too easy to get it horribly wrong, or sound dated, but they get it absolutely spot on. If their claim of only being together for one year is right then they must have worked incredibly hard to be as tight as they are. As a musician myself I know how hard it is to blend some of the styles that they make seem so easy. From the funk bass/back beat juiciness of 'Step Back' to the moshy 'Urban Legend Kid' or gritty 'Make my move', WW bring the noise while keeping the back door tight as a funky mermaids nether regions (special credit to bassist Mark Mockler who works his nuts off and doesn't drop a note). Michael Mead - vocalist/MC/lyricist never lets up and has clearly already mastered his art, even his use of an East Coast American accent - normally worthy of some stick for a European - works fine because its totally in keeping. Stripped to his gym-body waist, looking for all the world like a young Henry Rollins, Michael is a really great rapper who, I am sure, will get regular comparisons to Anthony Keidis of RHCP with his very similar, shirtless bouncing and machine-gun approach. The significant difference here is that Warm Warx has taken the bull by the horns and gone where the Chilli Peppers should have gone before they went all soft and stoned. The fact that Warm Wax already have some instrument endorsements confirms to me that the industry think they're as potentially massive as I do. Excellent stuff.
This is a very exciting album from Wanderluste, Sink or swim is the heading of the album with some melodic trad style music with a twist of song and dance featuring tracks like ‘FIONUALAS LAMENT’ Great lyrics and the song is done in a duet style with some enchanting melodies and fantastic percussion going on in the background. The instrumental in the start of this next tune called ‘TO IRELANDS ARMS’ would give you a feeling of peace and tranquility the vocal floats over its ghostly melody and captures the feelingof this mystic tune. ‘THE GYPSEY DANCE’ This is cool change on the album with its Latin feel combined with some traditional folk rhythm guitar and accordion sound really well together they hold down a great groove, good stuff. ‘A DIFFERENT IRELAND NOW’ Here is a nice soft acoustic folk song with fantastic lyrics and very well composed vocals have a great tone and suit the track well. ‘STORMY SEAS’ This is real upbeat song with some great vocals and backing vocals, the song has a more commercial feel with a twist of country folk with a great catchy chorus. There is a superb piano track called ‘POT OF GOLD’ Slow melodic nearly on an operatic scale but the vocals are in a relaxed tone but sound excellent, I nearly shed a tear ahhhh.
Overall the album has ten tracks with some great songs and fantastic rhythms, produced to the highest standard and if you like Clannad music this album is a must for the cd rack.
