Thursday 19 February 2009

Review - Wetnurse - Invisible City

Wetnurse - Invisible City

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7 out of 10

The PR blurb states the wide-ranging set of influences present in New York based collective Wetnurse’s musical landscape. Now in my general experience of reviewing music when the press statement claims it's "new and exciting" I usually cringe and can expect what is to come when I press play. Well it's a pleasant surprise to find that these East Coast noisy bastards are almost on the money with these claims. Almost.

Wetnurse bounce between many different poles of extreme music, essentially it's metal afflicted hardcore at its basest element. But the band are obviously talented musicians and manage to steer well clear of the usual chug, squeak, breakdown mentality that is more present than ever nowadays. Instead they have drawn on the origins of this music. Mixing in death metal, jazz, funk, melodic thrash and a huge dose of that noisy, Amrep "Skronk" that is loved by people (me included). Top this off with the scatter shot vocals of Gene Fowler and you have a diverse, challenging listen.

The band has weaved all these elements into a whole with their somewhat ragged technicality and a very organic production job that allows the playing to shine through.

The only real bad points I can think of are the somewhat generic at times habit of falling into the safety zone of more basic metalcore style sections, but these more than not give way in no time to something more exciting. If you like the styles of Drowningman and Cro-Mags and everything in between then give this a whirl.

Listen: www.myspace.com/wetnursenyc

Tracklist:
1. Conversations With The Moon
2. Not Your Choice
3. Growing Pains
4. Sacred Peel
5. Life At Stake
6. Your Last Flower
7. Missing Lion Returns
8. Slow Your Spell, Miss Hell

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