White Ward - False Light (2022)

Just when you think a band can’t get any better, you get a release like “False Light”, showcasing that White Ward’s sound and creativity are boundless. Digging deeper than in “Love Exchange Failure”, the band explores more sultry dark-jazz/avant-garde territories with the 66 minutes of music unleashed here. As one of the finest releases of 2022, this album needs to be enjoyed and carefully examined to get the fullest out of it.

Starting this magical tour-de-force we have the powerful “Leviathan”, a track that nicely builds up to some harsh Black Metal passages and nicely transitions into sultry jazzy greatness. With a more somber and darker tone, “Salt Paradise” mixes the guest clean vocals from Jay Gambit (Crowhurst) and the band’s more enigmatic and atmospheric side. “Phoenix” and “Silent Circles” nicely balance the band’s heavy side with melancholy and crafty instrumentation.

One of our favorite songs has to be the mellow “Cronus” and its very interesting transition between clean vocal melodies to heavier Death/Black Metal passages filled with funky saxophone and guitar leads. The album title track nicely brings all elements together with a hectic and yet elegant 14-minute piece that travels through different soundscapes and levels of aggression. This is one of the things which makes White Ward one of the most interesting and engaging bands these days.

As the release closes with the haunting “Downfall”, we continue to be highly impressed by White Ward and their ability to carve beauty, bleakness, and aggression into a very cohesive and unique sound that does not like anybody else in the scene. If you are looking for original, aggressive, and highly melancholic Metal music with wide boundaries, look no further and pick up a copy of “False Light”.

Label: Debemur Morti Productions

Release: June 17th, 2022

Genre: Experimental/Post-Black Metal

Country: Ukraine