W!ZARD – Definitely Unfinished

By RingMaster Review on July 14, 2021 • ( 0 )

W!ZARD is a trio from France who has just unleashed their new EP, an aggressive and invasive slab of noise fuelled post-hardcore which demanded attention from its first ravenous breath to its exhausted last.

Bordeaux-based, the band consists of bassist/vocalist Romain Arnault, guitarist/vocalist Manuel Cayla and drummer Finn Sally and together they breed a sound from the raw essences of noise, post hardcore and post punk. As their new EP shows, there is a slightly richer depth of flavour to its instincts than that but with inspirations including the likes of Daughters, Idles and At The Drive In shaping its character it is a proposition you can certainly imagine though it is the sounds themselves which truly unveil the real imagination and individuality which lit up our ears.

Recorded with producer Amaury Sauvé from Birds In Row, Definitely Unfinished sends The One I Blame to the offensive line first, the opener almost teasing ears and attention with its initial sonic jangle and vocal predation. Soon rhythms stab and riffs gnaw on the senses yet there is an inherent catchiness which fuels the song’s swing and groove. There is no missing and escaping the aggression and belligerence in its heart though, guitars and bass a caustic and venous incitement breeding a compelling vein of unpredictably.

The following Bones provides a calm lure with a rock ‘n’ roll breeding initially, its quickly animated body a compelling stomp with essences that reminded of UK bands Damn Vandals and Houdini at certain times. That instinctive irritability in the band’s creativity and sound is soon jerking the chains and inflaming the outstanding track though, a tempest of sound brewing to a rousing finale before Dead Space allows a breath to be taken by band and listener alike. No surprising as energy and intensity gathers pace and a new antagonism sweeps the encounter though it does not defuse the animated moves and imagination of the equally striking and rousing song.

Quick Violence gives warning before launching its animus, rhythms a rally of intimidation courted by just as furious guitars. A subsequent hold on that aggression only breeds a more menacing proposal, one creating a trespass which picks its spots and burrows deep before repeating the cycle with even greater venom and intensity, vocals echoing the intent of the music and vice versa.

The final incitement is provided by Fears, a track taking its time to surface but when it does weaves a web of intrigue and threat that captured the imagination. Across the subsequent nine minutes it taunts and entices, every second a challenge and captivation driven by rhythmic manipulation and vocal rousing and honed to a voracious clamour. The track is superb if maybe a touch overlong for personal tastes yet to be fair every minute is an imposing wall of coercive twists and turns and magnetic imagination so it never exhausts attention or pleasure.

So that is Definitely Unfinished, a striking and impressive EP from a band in W!ZARD we can only see luring the richest attention right now and from future invasions of their compelling sounds.