We The Wild: From The Cities We Fled

It hasn't happened often in my world of music. I mean I listen to more extreme sounds than my kids, I'm pretty up to speed with the bands Kerrang! now serve up to their pre-teen readers and the number of debut releases from young bands with less of an image than Kerry King used to carry in his back pocket that arrive in my inbox daily, continues to grow. So how did We The Wild make me feel old??

Angst, that's how. Angst that flows so liberally that it made me recoil and roll my eyes and ask… Is it me? Or is it WTW? I'm still not sure. However as the clever melodies that underpin everything and set the scene for some immensely impressive backing vocals become drowned out by lead singer Benjamin Cline's (loosely) in tune shouts, his vitriol actually made me tired. Within seconds. Musically I've no doubt that 'post' will be in there somewhere, after all, From The Cities We Fled is definitely after a lot of things, but calling it 'post' makes it sound, well, angrier and that seems to be so much of the main purpose behind this album…

...which is to these suddenly ageing ears, a real shame, because when We The Wild aren't angry about how angry their anger makes them, they show serious chops, plenty of skills and oodles of poise. Seriously, some of the math-metal fret flurries from Miles Davenport and Elliott Sikes is jaw droppingly good and Joe Lawson might just be a drummer we're raving about for years to come, such is the power and versatility in his approach. "Nothing Can Stop Us Now" illustrates perfectly just how powerful the boys can be when they calm down and control their emotions, a similar musical background finding Cline still gruff and almost growling and yet with added control he's suddenly revealed as a frontman with real charisma in his delivery. Also to the band's credit, when the lyrics are decipherable, they aren't just 'I hate the world' shenanigans, instead they are questioning the values, or lack of, in the world today and showing a desire to step into a more inclusive, tolerant society.

So file We The Wild under 'not for me' but if you like your anger raw, fierce and uncontrolled, you may want to investigate further. I think I'll go look out my pipe and slippers and pop on some death metal instead...

Track Listing
1. Still Asunder
2. Exodus And Decay
3. Ol' Boy
4. From The Cities We Fled
5. Roxy, The Cops Are Here
6. Terrible, Terrible!
7. Nothing Can Stop Us Now
8. King Of Wounds
9. Hold
10. 2001

Added: September 10th 2016
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: We The Wild on bandcamp
Hits: 1753
Language: english

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