War from a Harlots Mouth - In Shoals
Rating
RIYL
Molotov SolutionTime Has Come
Animosity
Release Date
04/28/2009
Label
Lifeforce RecordsTracklist
1. They Come In Shoals2. No High Five For A C.oward
3. Briefing Security Werewolves On Red Alert
4. Crooks At Your Door
5. Justice From The Lips Of The Highest Bidder
6. Copyriot
7. The Certain Nothing
8. Appropriate Tools Required To Intercept And Obstruct Errorism
9. What Happens In The District... (Paper Agents)
10. ...Stays In The District (I’m The Black Sheep Of Her Country)
11. Scully
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Two years ago, technical deathcore act War From A Harlots Mouth released Transmetropolitan, a record that surprised many and even managed to get them some recognition outside of the typical scenesters that already listened to them. It was easy to see why – while the German quintet used breakdowns almost as much as their counterparts, they managed to implement enough guitar wizardry and variation (including the usage of jazz passages in a coherent manner) to put them a notch above the competition. 2009 sees the band pushing the deathcore envelope even further with In Shoals, an effort that will once again prove that they are on a different planet then the other zillion bands that plague the genre.
Much like their previous effort, WFAHM are able to incorporate full out jazz sections into their music. These transitions are sometimes a bit too sudden, but usually they are used well and help bring songs together. Take “Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Errorism”, which not only has a nice jazz interlude, but has a Gojira-esque tinge as well. More importantly, breakdowns are used well throughout the album. Instead of every other riff being a breakdown – like a lot of bands rely on these days – they are often few and far between and rarely will you hear two breakdowns on one of In Shoals’s ten tracks.
There is even a sense of emotion and melody underneath the death grunts and downtuned riffage. Ironically, this is evident on “...Stays In The District (I’m The Black Sheep Of Her Country)”, a song that also contains a rather lengthy breakdown. There are still a few mishaps on the album, but the band continue to work out the kinks in becoming more than just another deathcore band. “Scully”, the closing track, which is essentially an eight minute breakdown with a quiet break thrown in, actually comes off as more of a doomy track due in large part to the excellent riff they choose to break down the entire track.
It is safe to say that War From A Harlots Mouth are onto something big. While In Shoals is an indicator of big things, it is not the final product that is going to be their masterpiece. It is certainly one of the best albums you will hear with the ‘deathcore’ tag this year, but that doesn’t mean it is going to top any year end lists. Still, for anyone familiar with the band, deathcore, or metal as a whole, In Shoals is an album worth hearing – that way you can say you were listening to them before they got big.
--Logan Broger
Comments
Minnesota
Wait... were you listening to the same album I was? This is pretty far from good or interesting. I think the jazzy stuff sounds out of place and not very well integrated.
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Dubuque
I love their split EP with Molotov Solution.
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Raleigh, NC
Thought this CD sucked. I gave it a 5.5 / 10 on my blog. Production was horrrible, and I thought it just didn't suit them as well as Transmetropolitan did, regardless of which style was better.
Coopersburg, PA
Yeah, that's easily their best material. I was pumped for their first full length after hearing their EP but it was a big let down to me.