WMN (Women) - S/T (Album Review)

Release date: May 07th 2018. Label: Self Released. Format: CD/DD

WMN – S/T – Tracklisting

1.ELECTRIC BATH ATTENDANT
2.52 YRS AN IMBECILE

3.WEEP NOW IN THE MIRE
4.DROWNER
5.COUNT AS FEMALE
6.FRWLL

Review

WMN return after a three year absence with their new album. If you're new to world of WMN then be prepared for a heavy as heck Noise/Punk/Sludge Metal journey that can be quite hard work at times. If you're already familiar with the band then WMN have gone a moody and slightly dramatic makeover. Gone are the upbeat Sludge/Stoner Rock vibes that appeared on their earlier releases. Now the band is embracing their dark and moodier personas.

Opening track – Electric Bath Attendant - is a Noise Rock/Punk driven affair with the doom and sludge metal elements appearing on different stages of the song. The vocals are more boisterous than WMN's previous records. The whole mood of the album is bleak and unsettling at times. WMN experiment with their sound and long-time fans of the band maybe slightly put off from the drastic change of sound from WMN. The song becomes very creepy with harsh growls, angry lyrics and weird psychedelic sounds. Though the music can be quite catchy at times.

Second track – 52 Years An Imbecile - is one of the albums strongest tracks with WMN focusing more on aggressive melody than the Punk influence that can be heard on other songs. The song is played at a very slow pace but this allows WMN to play a different style of music compared to the opening track.

The band have included a couple of songs on this album that act as a brief break from the more epic tracks that WMN have included on the album. These songs last for under two minutes and most of them are completely crazy with a wide array of different distorted sounds. Other good songs to check out are: Drowner and FRWLL. FRWLL runs for almost nine minutes and perhaps the standout track on the album.

The gloomy and depressing Punk Rock sound of the album never waives and WMN feel like a different band compared to their earlier releases. You may need to be in a certain mood to listen to this album but there is one thing you can never call WMN and that is BORING. Nothing is what it seems on this album.

Sure I miss the upbeat riffs the band created on their earlier records but I admire WMN for creating something different. If you're a fan of Eagle Twin's earlier albums then WMN are the band for you. As with multiple listens I'm beginning to discover heavy distorted drone metal sounds that I missed originally.

So give this album a chance. It won't be for everyone but there is bound to be an audience out there for WMN. Overall, WMN have released a deeply disturbing and hugely entertaining album.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp

WOMEN - Feel Bad Hits Of The Winter (EP Review)

Release date: November 2015. Label: Self Released. Format: DD

Feel Bad Hits Of The Winter – Tracklisting

1.Feel Bad (Hit Of The Winter)

2.Hive Minds

3.Vampyres

4.Jam Room (Full Version)

Band Members:

Jon. Ron. Gareth.

Review:

UK Scuzz/Grunge/Sludge/Stoner Rockers – WOMEN – return with a new EP – Feel Bad Hits Of The Winter. Yeah I wonder which band influenced them for that title. Don’t worry; this isn’t some second rate QOTSA clone. WOMEN are a finely tuned Sludge/Stoner Rock combo with a few tricks of their own in the riffs department. A couple of the tracks on the EP – Feel Bad (Hit Of The Winter) and Hive Minds – have been streaming already on BandCamp for a few weeks and I’ve promoted on the Facebook Page recently. Now it’s good to see that WOMEN have a proper EP with two extra songs but more about them later.

First track – Feel Bad (Hit Of The Winter) – a low-down, dirty Sludge/Stoner Metal song that packs quite a punch with melodic riffs and a fully confident groove. The vocals are what you expect from a band such as WOMEN. Grizzled, angry and one that has shades of Mastodon at times. The FUZZ is there for everyone to feel and listen as the mood can be very psychedelic with a ton of fast-paced riffs.

Second track – Hive Minds – opens with a grunge based riff before the band return to their heavier Sludge/Stoner Metal ways. The vocals drift from clean based chants to sludge based growls and it’s quite a contrast especially when they’re mixed with the grunge based doomy riffs. It shows you how inventive and demonic the band actually is. One of the standout songs on the EP.

Third track – Vampyres – sees WOMEN opt for a more Red-Fang approach to their music especially where the riffs are concerned. The vocals have a snarling Punk Rock vibe but it’s the heavy sludge/stoner riffs that holds your attention as the band play at such at a fast pace. It’s hard to keep up at times. It’s quite a bass heavy affair as WOMEN experiment with their sound yet again. I’m not complaining as its good to see WOMEN explore different sounds on the EP.

Finally, WOMEN offer one final epic almost 13 minute track – Jam Room (Full Version) – a song that takes a while to get going as the production is very lo-fi as the sound drifts from great to not so good. I feel this song is just here to make up the numbers but it is a great song to listen to. I hope the guys record a new version of this song and perhaps cut 5 mins from it as there is a fantastic song waiting to be discovered here. It’s purely an instrumental jam based song with epic guitar solos and impressive drumming through out.

Feel Bad Hits Of The Winter is an excellent EP and it shows that WOMEN are definitely a band to look out for. Hopefully the next full length record won’t be too far behind.

Thanks to WOMEN for the promo. Feel Bad Hits Of The Winter will be available to buy soon.

Words by Steve Howe

Links:

Facebook | BandCamp