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Artist: WE.GOT.THIS.FAR
Album: BluntForceVolume
Year: 2009
We.Got.This.Far (or WGTF in some occasions) is a duo operating from out of the Bay Area in California, U.S.A. The vast majority of the readers of our webzine will probably remember the review of this band's debut release 'Bludgeon', which turned out to be a positive surprise for me, and the interview we did with these nice fellows after. The fact that we weren't the only one to be gotten impressed by the debut is underlined by the fact that only one year after this release the band already found a label (Spiralchords - known for very good releases of Artifact and MDM in the past) to release the debut full-lenght worldwide. 'BluntForceVolume' is the given name to it, and it comes with ten tracks.
After the threatning and sometimes even a little disturbing sounding instrumental intro 'Breath Before the Plunge', the release follows with 'Like Dying'. It comes with a heavy droning bassline, wicked programming, welladded guitarparts and picks and industrial sampling. Overall the song has a little bit of a wave touch. 'Sedona' is a dark but gentle song that comes with lots of variation. It sails from wave and electro to a folklorish accoustic guitar sounding intermezzo and recogniseable vocal lines. A good example of how the term "gothic ballad" should be used. 'Mistep' (who was already featured on 'Bludgeon' too) comes up next. It's an easy going midtempo track, mixing influences from old school gothic to modern electro metal and a little bit of wave. The sampling is welladded and comes with a powerful use of vocal lines and riffing. 'Endgame' is a track that comes with a strong feeling of sorrow. It brings atmospheric sampling and (bass)guitarpicks blended with the vocal lines to mix it with recogniseable piano parts and programming, resulting in my personal favorite track on the release. 'Cave In' comes with sampled vocal lines during the couplets and raw clean ones on the chorus, mixed perfectly well together with the heavy riffing and powerful programming. Overall the track is pretty easy listening and accessable. 'Bludgeon' - which was the title track of the debut EP - follows. It's a more old school based track, with raw riffing, excellent sampling and simple though very effective programming. 'Anywhere But Here' is another more sensitive track, with essential keylines, rawish vocal lines and good use of distorted riffing. Overall the song is build on a recogniseable bassline and drumming, which gives the song a certain accessibility. The most surprising track on the release is the over nine minutes long 'So This Is Doom'. It sails you from elements of wave to elements of drone, passing ambient, electro and even a little noise. Overall the track is very atmospheric based. 'Someone Somewhere' is the final track of the release. It comes with wicked clean guitar parts, recogniseable programming and dark sampling and basslines. My suspicion says that lyrically this track is more or less the follow-up of 'So This Is Doom' - but don't kill me if I'm wrong.
'BluntForceVulume' is full of many cool surprises to unwrap - of which some are a bit more obvious than others. One essential part of this release, which is at the same time quite a unique thing in the industrial / electro metal world, is the use of accoustic guitars. Not only does it give some songs a certain atmosphere, as well does it take care of more variation within the songs and of course developing an own style. Another thing to fall in love with is the use of the protounding basslines all over the record, which is sometimes nearly mesmerizing. Some cool surprised that are less easier to unwrap are mostly hidden within the samples and sometimes in the bass- and guitarpicks. At the time I wrote this review, I've been listening to this release with headphones on three times, and still more and more details are unwrapped in my ears - giving me a different experience each time I'm listening. One thing that has also to be mentioned is the production. Where many bands within this genre crave for a super clean and super polished one, 'BluntForceVulume' comes with a rawer touch. This didn't only have a magical affection on the bass- and guitarlines, as well does it give the rawer, sometimes even punkish vocal lines a certain boost, bringing the energy that hides in them more forward.
To keep a long story short in the end - I don't think there will be any followers of this genre out there who will not dig 'BluntForceVulume'. Specially if you consider yourself a fan of bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Kubrick, Volkmar, Kill The Thrill and maybe even Tool and Soundgarden - your CD collection will count as nothing if you don't have this album in there. 'BluntForceVulume' is definitely the best debut album in it's (sub)genre since Nine Inch Nails' "Pretty Hate Machine", and one that will have abused my CD player very very very often already before it turns out to be a classic for the rest of the world too. In one word - incredible!
Vote: 100 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
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1. Breath Before the Plunge
2. Like Dying
3. Sedona
4. Mistep
5. Endgame
6. Cave In
7. Bludgeon
8. Anywhere But Here
9. So This Is Doom
10. Someone Somewhere
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