Wovenwar review

They say that out of the ashes the strong will rise and when it comes to the world of metal this is all so true. Some of the biggest hits and greatest songs were penned during the artists’ darkest times. When it comes to the self-titled debut of Wovenwar this scenario is epitomized and defined perfectly. Wovenwar was formed by the remaining members of As I Lay Dying minus their estranged frontman. Members Nick Hipa, Phil Sgrosso, Josh Gilbert and Jordan Mancino decided it was time to move forward from their former band and create something fresh, new, beautiful and powerful and named the band Wovenwar. They needed a vocalist and who better to take the reins than Oh, Sleeper’s Shane Blay, whom the guys from Wovenwar have a rich history with. With Blay at the helm, they kept the project underwraps for almost a year and pleasantly blew fans away when the announcement came in early 2014 that a record would be releasing in late summer. With Wovenwar it was important for the band to branch out musically and not do something they’d done with their previous bands and when fans listen to the self-titled debut they’ll see firsthand the band have created something very far from what they’ve done in the past while keeping the aggressive element they’ve become known for. From the beginning of opener “Foreword” and “All Rise” the band takes a more melodic approach with more singing and cleans than they’ve used in the past. “Death to Rights” keeps the momentum going, followed up by “Tempest” for a beating you’ll not soon forget and “The Mason” continues the assault. There aren’t many soft moments on the record outside of “Foreword” and closer “Onward” as the band needed to make a statement that they can branch out, go down a different avenue while keeping the element of insanity, brutality and destruction alive. If you were a fan of As I Lay Dying or Oh, Sleeper, you’ll feel right at home and won’t feel alienated by the new sound and fans who are just discovering the band or finding out about them are guaranteed to have a new favorite band and album. The songwriting is beautiful, the composition is flawless, the production is outstanding and the record is an all-around masterpiece. There’s no denying this should be in the running for album of the year for 2014. Rating: 9.5/10 -Reggie Edwards