ALBUM REVIEW: Colosseum – W.E.B.

To some (including this writer), the use of the term symphonic black metal is enough to make the skin crawl and bring on a cold sweat. Despite heavy music’s propensity for drawing on influences from western classical music, the end result often ends up being the same thing, over and over again. Loud brass chords, synthesized strings playing arpeggios and some operatic vocals that really show up how awful that style can be. Now, with such a declamatory statement about how woeful this genre can be, maybe it could be inferred that Colosseum by W.E.B. could fall foul of some of this criticism. This is the Athenian quartet’s fifth release, with guitarist/vocalist Sakis Prekas stating, “We wanted this album to be as straightforward as we could make it. We wanted it to be aggressive and to the point, and at the same time we have pushed literally everything, higher, faster, louder, harder. It is our most metal album.“

With such a strong statement of intent, cynics among us could see it as hyperbole and ultimately be disappointed at the result. However, Colosseum proves us all wrong by not reneging on any of its intentions, instead delivering a masterclass in to the point, no-nonsense heavy music. Things blast off well with opening number Dark Web, which introduces the symphonic elements of the record. Thankfully, these sections are masterfully weaved into the thread of the music, combining with the instruments of the band, and at no point dwarfing them. Melodies are allowed to soar only momentarily before the tone takes on a more necro aesthetic. The 5/8 chanting motif that runs throughout Pentalpha has a real sense of urgency that gives the tune life, whilst a nice crunching breakdown halfway through will get the head banging.

The aforementioned symphonic elements of the record do not detract from the quality, but enhance the experience. It is used rather like CGI in a film, as a final highlight rather than instead of creating the effect organically. The title track Colosseum is a prime example, letting the four members of the band carry the weight of the song, with the colossal orchestration arriving to deliver the extra power at essential moments. The work of the four central musicians in the band is great, with some excellent precise guitar work and blast beats from the the drums filling the nine songs on the record with energy and vitality. One slight drawback of the record would be that the lush orchestration does suffer in places from being mostly synthesised, which, certainly for western classical instruments, leads to a loss of some of the real organic nature and rawness of the instruments.

This album is a great example of delivering one’s intentions as an artist. W.E.B. have plenty of scope and technical know how to navigate the tricky blend of traditional western classical elements and black metal. A really close comparison for Colosseum would be Enthrone Darkness Triumphant by DIMMU BORGIR, as that was the record the propelled the Norwegians forward in terms of their creativity. Hopefully we shall see the same of W.E.B. in the future. 

Rating: 8/10

Colosseum is out now via Metal Blade Records.

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