We - "Wooferwheels"
(Voices Of Wonder 1997, VOW063)
We - "Wooferwheels"
(Voices Of Wonder 1997, VOW063)
From Aural Innovations #4 (October 1998)
Norway's We play driving metallic rock that has a heavy psychedelic edge. The band consists of Don A. Dons, Thomas Felberg, Geir Anders Jensen, and Kristian Kirkvaag. The CD provides no instrument listing but it sounds like duel guitars, bass, and drums.
While We's music is certainly metallic there is an undefinable quality that makes calling them a metal band give the wrong impression. The guitars do not blow you away with the solos characteristic of metal bands. Rather, there is much hard driving intensity that is metallic, but also blazing acid guitar that is even ambient at times.
Songs like "Wooferwheels", "Last Argument Of Kings", and "In Between The Days" feature this interesting mix of hard psych and metal that gives the band their sound. The band often alternates between subtle buildups and kick ass rockin'. One of my favorites tunes, "Stuks Of Khun De Prorok" carries this metal/acid mix to its extreme. At ten minutes the band develops a slow intensity and all the musicians really stretch out including the vocalist who screams dementedly along with the musicians.
"Chase Vampire" and "Im Dschungel Von Kraut" are the tunes that would most appeal to AI readers. Still heavy, but psychedelically dreamy, the guitarists seem far more concerned with mood and atmosphere than flash as they produce a banquet of sounds and effects. I don't think there are any synths here so they are really wringing a lot out their guitars. A heavy, but exploratory sound that I found very appealing and the closest to SpaceRock found on the disc.
The only song I didn't like was "Out There" and this was mostly due to what I assume was a different vocalist than on the other tracks. My plea to the band is that they've got a good thing going with the singer on the other tracks so leave this one at home.
You can visit We at their web site.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz