Wode - Burn In Many Mirrors

 

Key Facts

Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Genre: Black Metal

Release Date: 2nd April 2021

Record Label: 20 Buck Spin

Band Members

E.T. - Bass

T.H. - Drums, Guitar, Synth & Keys

M.C. - Guitars, Vocals, Synth & Keys

D. Shaw - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Wode - Vanish Beneath

Review

Rating (out of 5🤘): 🤘🤘🤘🤘.5

Favourite Track(s): Lunar Madness, Fire In The Hills, Serpent's Coil, Streams Of Rapture (I, II, III)

British black metal has been on a significant rise in the last few years, bringing the dark Satanic hills and grim weather with it to firmly imprint it in the black metal landscape, emerging from the shadows of our Scandinavian counterparts. Manchester's Wode is one such band in the British vanguard with a devastating   brand of black metal infused with thrash and doom. Since 2010 the band have honed their sound, and firmly established themselves with a duo of solid albums, 2016's self-titled and 2017's Servants of the Countercosmos. With that in mind it easy to see why this was a highly anticipated release four years in the making. 

There is always an edge to British black metal, an intangible gloom that seems to seep its way into everything that happens in these islands. Wode's dark and brooding atmosphere throughout this album, is a fine example of this. Amongst the chaotic tremolo riffs and raw harmonised melodies, there is a foaming and frothing aggression Burn In Many Mirrors. What is striking is how well worked the various elements of black, death, thrash, groove and doom have been worked together to create a raw, uncompromising extreme metal sound. Whilst that is a lot of different elements to pack into a record, they also do the black metal fundamentals well, with ruthless aggression they shower discordance and chaos upon the listener in the more traditional and frosty melodic style of black metal. With that in mind, the band seem to be playing with our understanding of the genre as it easily and effortlessly transitions between elements, invoking the Scandinavian black metal gods yet sounding distinctly British and refreshing. Even so, trying to define Wode is like trying nail jelly to a tree, you get so much bang for your buck you don't know where to even begin to start. The succinctness of the album during its under forty minute run time gives it significant potency and impact. In turn, trying to give a complete run down of the albums best features is folly. The fact that the album feels so wide open lends itself to unique resonance with its listener. Opening it up for multiple perspectives yet also bringing in the harrowing lyrical themes of the apocalypse, death and occultism is quite a feat. It's definitely a positive being blindsided in this way, the visceral and pure sonic evil contained in Serpent's Coil and Sulphuric Glow alongside the more doomy Fire In The Hills and the NWOBHM influences transcending the whole album, this offering certainly lives up to the hype. One thing that can be pointed out is the similarities between M.C.'s vocals and those of Behemoth's Nergal. This death metal bark/growl is packed with a rawness that is perfectly suited to the music. Overall, for a label debut release Wode have absolutely smashed it out of the park. This offering feels like their truest form, demonstrating their genre mastery and creating something new and exciting. 

The production is very reminiscent of old school black metal and early 80s NWOBHM. The mix is very wide in the stereo field with each guitar having its own side, which is not something that is made obvious these days but the two distinct tones resonating in each ear is refreshing. The drums sound tight and bombastic, a big weight thump comes from the kick and the snare sounds viscous as they barrel down the centre of the mix. The bass is so full sound it gives the riffs that extra power. The layering and use of electronic elements has created this incredible grand, all encompassing atmosphere. With the variation in the electronic elements it keeps you listening as something new can be heard with each listen as well as being a significant addition to the rich, aforementioned atmosphere. Overall the mix is just as unique as the music, capitalising on the many facets of the bands sound and emphasising them all individually. 

If you fancy listening to one of Britain's fastest rising black metal acts, get listening to Wode and Burn In Many Mirrors while doing it. 

Wode - Burn In Many Mirrors