Metal Mondays with Corey Spetifore

Track Review: Wovenwar, "All Rise"

By Corey Spetifore

It is not often that a brand new metal band attracts a great deal of attention right out of the gate.

However, a certain supergroup out of San Diego, California is slashing that trend before the eyes of many and basking in the spotlight of pure, unadulterated metal.

The quartet of As I Lay Dying instrumentalists have joined forces with Oh, Sleeper vocalist Shane Blay to form Wovenwar, a tactful metal powerhouse that is effectively sweeping the modern metal scene. Brandishing a unique sound that challenges their numerous contemporaries, Wovenwar, formed under a year ago, has already promised the release of a full-length album this summer on Metal Blade Records. With expectation and skepticism mounting, the public has been treated to “All Rise”, the very first sample of the band’s craftsmanship. As their single has instantly nabbed chart positions on iTunes and is enjoying mainstream success, Wovenwar continues to perpetuate the hype surrounding them.

Produced by Bill Stevenson (As I Lay Dying, NOFX, Rise Against), “All Rise” shows no mercy upon the listener, unleashing a thundering double kick drum beat which backs up methodically chugging rhythm guitars and a blitzing, melodic guitar solo, recalling the ballsy shredding of 80’s metal; an assertive, full-throttle atmosphere is exuded, demanding the listener’s full attention. Following the explosive opening, the song quickly retreats from the fairly upbeat tempo it began with and utilizes half-time to introduce the verse, making way for the soaring, sung vocals of Mr. Blay himself. Although nowadays atypical to metal, the very presence of clean vocals immediately makes the song – and moreover, the genre – more accessible to a larger demographic without sacrificing any content. From the verse, the track enjoys a large yet seamless crescendo into a modulated chorus with a massive sound, with the beat switching back to opening tempo and the second guitar providing open-tapping texture over top of thriving power chords. This integration of a radically different second theme for a chorus shows adept concentration, conscious musicality and mostly, Wovenwar’s will to carve out a completely unique style for themselves; currently, no bands of the genre offer anything similar or remotely comparable to this sound, as elements of metalcore, heavy metal, post-hardcore and punk are blended together in razor-sharp production to form a colossal front. There is little respite during the track’s nearly 4 minute long duration, breaking shortly only for a fiery, rat-a-tat breakdown lead by snare fills before leading into the final chorus via an airy and open-structured bridge. For a debut effort from a “meeting of the minds” and from a musical standpoint, “All Rise” is greatly impressive and an absolute thrill to listen to. The contrast demonstrated in this single provides a marvelous sense of balance between power and restraint, showing you can be metal and musical, and leads us to believe that Wovenwar has only given us the smallest taste of the larger entrée expected later this summer.