Crank this to 9.7 of 11 - Editors' Pick
Released: 2020
Genre: Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore
Sounds Like: Unsane, Barkmarket, Cavity
Melbourne Australia natives, WELL, continue to morph into their own with their latest EP Trench Dancer. We can only comment on the fact that the high-turnover within the band has elicited what is clearly their strongest release to date. Thankfully Das Beard is in the drivers seat on this one. He reminds us of a young David Yow of Jesus Lizard fame. While the two have divergent vocal tones, much like Yow, Dase creates an aura of brilliant cognitive dissonance. The inconsistent thoughts and infusion of anxiety make for a powerful ride. Eldridge and Beard provide the bass backbone which accentuates Riley’s swirling fuzz-laced melodies to come together.
Track Listing
1. Blameless (4:11)
2. Not art (4:27)
3. Mirror pretender (4:28)
4. First…do no harm (5:09)
5. Sick display (4:58)
Standout Track
The bass on "not art" is fucking insane. Brilliant contrast make this the clear standout track. The crescendo that hits in the last 30 seconds are absolutely spine numbing as Beard cries in angst. This could be the song of the year and its only February as we write this.
Adult Beverage Pairing
Melbourne’s own Moon Dog Brewery puts out a tremendous smokey stout in Black Lung V. This aged stout hits at 8.8% ABV an intensely chaotic mix of chocolate, roasty, shmokin', fortified trench deep flavor. The WELL is filled with Hops: Magnum, EK Goldings. Malt: Ale, Chocolate, Heavy Peated, Caraaroma, Dark Crystal, Flaked Oats. Yeast: Belgian, American. Other: Aged in PX Barrels.
ROTATION RECAP
Captivation and Variety
9.7 out of 11
Weight of the Heavy
9.8 out of 11
Lyrics
9.4 out of 11
Vocal Performance
10.2 out of 11
Hallucinogenic Levels
9.1 out of 11
Fretwork Prowess
9.2 out of 11
Percussion Prowess
9.0 out of 11
Bass-work Prowess
9.8 out of 11
Overall Album Flow
9.7 out of 11
Contrast
9.7 out of 11
Album Cover Aesthetics
9.6 out of 11
Production Value
9.8 out of 11
Band Members
Riley-Bass Guitar
Dario Amati-Drums
Ben Eldridge-Non Bass Guitar
Dase Beard-Non Bass Guitar, Noise and Yelling
Final thoughts
Yes we have quite the penchant for this type of post-hardcore rock that infuses complex math-rock elements. WELL draws out what made 90s experimental noise rock so good. These fuckers are passionate and at the top of their game on Trench Dancer. Grab this one on BandCamp. We will be checking in regularly to get ourselves a fresh copy on vinyl once available as well.