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░ ██ ██ Artist: White Ward ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Futility Report █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-08-10 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Black Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Debemur Morti Prod. ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ This is hands down one of the most unique black █
█ metal records that I have ever heard. As much as █
█ some people might bitch about the expansion of the █
█ sound, I think the fact that there is a legitimate █
█ black metal record out now that perfectly fuses █
█ lounge jazz with black metal is insane. White █
█ Ward's unique brand of saxophone-driven metal is █
█ the sort of thing that most folks have a hard time █
█ wrapping their heads around, and for good reason: █
█ it's fucking weird! Futility Report is an album █
█ that ebbs and flows perfectly, locking in with █
█ unique sounds and driving you to check out new and █
█ innovative advances in a genre that has been █
█ growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. This █
█ is a band who have come into the world fully █
█ realized, with Futility Report being their first █
█ full length and sounding miles better than legions █
█ of their peers. Debemur Mori Productions is one of █
█ the most exciting labels in the world right now, █
█ and it's only labels like them who can dig up shit █
█ as good as this. █
█ █
█ What's amazing about the jazz-inspired magic of █
█ White Ward is that rather than becoming another █
█ dumb gimmick they are able to seamlessly fuse █
█ their beloved saxophone with more traditional █
█ black metal motifs. While at times the record █
█ feels a bit sectional, it's sectional a la RIITIIR █
█ era Enslaved. The general concept meshes fairly █
█ well and the execution is almost always flawless. █
█ I think what's most interesting is the band's █
█ ability to use jazz concepts for their black metal █
█ parts and vice versa. While there certainly aren't █
█ a lot of moments that are straight jazz they █
█ definitely ease in there, providing a nice █
█ contrast to some of the blazing black metal fury. █
█ There is a very real sense of torment that █
█ provides the backbone of White Ward; it's a sound █
█ that comes from years of hard work to produce a █
█ record that very few people will truly take the █
█ time to enjoy, and the torment of this hellish █
█ world. And yet there is still something triumphant █
█ and even transcendent about the music on Futility █
█ Report. As if even in this crazy old messed up █
█ world of ours, there's still a (little) place █
█ where we can listen to avant-garde black metal and █
█ love every minute of it. █
█ █
█ White Ward understand the importance of melody and █
█ strong songwriting. They bleed together a variety █
█ of fascinating concepts to create a rich sonic █
█ landscape that you just want to revel in. While █
█ they may not have quite achieved their full █
█ potential, and can certainly grow upon their █
█ existing ideas, it's stunning to realize how new █
█ this band is. As much as I love the Ulver and █
█ Agalloch worship though, and as much as I love the █
█ willingness to experiment, I think that there is █
█ so much more that this can be. White Ward are █
█ pushing the boundaries of black metal, growing the █
█ instrumentation and encouraging us to keep delving █
█ ever deeper to find that ultimate band. █
█ Avant-garde but never alienating, this is the sort █
█ of group that you can fall in love with, and the █
█ sort of group who I think will be making headlines █
█ across the glove in a few years. Get on it. █
█ █
█ http://whiteward.bandcamp.com/ █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Deviant Shapes 7:22 ░
░ 2. Stillborn Knowledge 8:03 ░
░ 3. Homecoming 6:35 ░
░ 4. Rain as Cure 3:11 ░
░ 5. Black Silent Piers 6:29 ░
░ 6. Futility Report 8:38 ░
░ 40:18 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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