Reviews
2007-05-29
Someone is putting something in Belgium's water supply.
Don't panic, it won't hurt you too bad, it'll just turn your metal sick and your music aggressive, your vocals will be harsh and growled, your guitars tuned down and heavy, and your overall image will be of one demented Belgian axe-murderer.
Aborted may be the best known Belgian metal band, but it seems quite a few others are making a move into more global awareness lately, and Wellkin are up next, creating what can be described as brutal deathcore with some sludge and tech-death elements. Their second release is something of an acquired taste, it lacks the technical proficiency of Aborted, and the extreme aggressiveness of
Leng T'che, but they compensate with one of the most grueling and aggressive albums I've heard lately, definitely an acquired taste.
Songs hit you fast and hard, I really liked the brutal yet clear sound which gave the drums and bass an extra oomph, the thing about this release is that the band is more into dynamic aggression than simple song structures, so this will demand several listening sessions before it becomes clear.
Several Belgian spiked water drinkers are here too; Aborted's Sven, the godfather of Belgian extremity, does backing vocals, as does Freeloader's Tim, but Wellkin vocalist Demis needs little help in sounding demented and sick, he's got that covered.
Not an easy album to digest, but still a worthy addition to the growing cannon of Belgian misfits.
Alon Miasnikov
