ALBUM REVIEW: Acts of Repentance – Wardaemonic
Perth’s WARDAEMONIC are a band that may not be the most prolific in terms of output, but more than make up for the lack of quantity with plenty of quality. Since their formation in 2006, the band has only released four full lengths and an E.P, but each of these albums has been meticulously crafted, with each being better than the last. The band’s latest, fourth full length, Acts of Repentance, comes over five years since the release of their last full length, Obsequium and is by far the band’s most eclectic offering to date.
Act I – Introspection starts Acts of Repentance on a high note, with chaotic, frenzied musicianship blending together with a powerful atmosphere to create a huge whirlwind of rabid riffs and feral vocals. The music, on all fronts, is delivered with a palpable sense of urgency that really adds to the impact of this song on the listener. Introspection strikes a great balance between black metal savagery and grandiose, expansive moments, making for an excellent opening gambit. Act II – Admission, with its eerie guitar hooks, thunderous drums and bellicose vocal patterns takes the sound of the previous song and refines it somewhat, with more subdued performances giving this song a much more focused and intense sound. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have some solid, technical playing, however. The music is noticeably tighter, and the vocals and ambience that fills out the sound really come to the fore.
Act III – Castigation is a brilliant, slow burning piece of music that has some of the best drumming on the entirety of Acts of Repentance , with its more percussive approach providing a great foundation for the rest of the music. The guitars make use of a wider range of tones, with cleaner passages complementing the extreme, jarring moment perfectly. It’s a haunting and monolithic track from start to finish, and injects lots of heady atmospherics into the mix to craft a sprawling sound that it’s hard not to love. Act IV – Sufferance is lighter, and definitely more sublime, take on WARDAEMONIC‘s more cacophonous side. The guitars and vocals give this a razor sharp and primal sound, but the more ethereal guitar tone and the synth elements make for an angelic sound that few black metal bands are able to capture. Gathering pace and momentum as Sufferance reaches its climax, the music takes on a slightly harsher feel.
Act V – Repentance takes WARDAEMONIC back down an energetic and frenetic route, with pummelling drums and dark, caustic guitars providing an impressive musical base, and the absolute best vocal deliveries on the whole record helping to create an incredibly robust and domineering sound. There’s some fantastic, sludgy bass lines as well that only serve to add a crunching depth to an already meaty sound, and some great, sublime guitar passages that all add up to a monstrous and eclectic sound. It’s a great way to bring Acts of Repentance to a close.
Acts of Repentance is an impressive album on a number of levels. The diverse range of styles that WARDAEMONIC incorporates into their sound – from the technical elements that are liberally peppered across the album to the soaring atmospherics – keeps the music as a whole interesting throughout. The five year gap between Obsequium and Acts of Repentance has been well worth the wait, and even if it takes another five years before this band put out new music, if this is anything to go by, then it’ll definitely be worth waiting for.
Rating: 8/10
Acts of Repentance is out now via Transcending Obscurity Records.
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