When I took my first listen through my promo download of Ward XVI’s debut album The Art Of Manipulation (2017), I honestly didn’t know what to think of it. The music was obviously some kind of Metal but with a weird twist and I couldn’t get the hang of it. However, I realized that this album wasn’t something that would stick by first listen so I gave it the extra spins I felt it needed and voila, the record grew on me by each spin until I got it. Despite having the album as a download-promo, I knew I had get a hold of a physical copy – and to have the album in my hand made the experience even greater. I will not go into the story-line of what Ward XVI is all about as I did that in the review of the debut, so click the link below if you want to get that story. What I do know is that I have longed for this sequel and that I expect a lot from it.
This time they let us through the doors of Whittingham Asylum and instead of me trying to explain the story, here’s what the press-release said of it: “Metamorphosis challenges everything you think you know about the notorious fiend, Psychoberrie. Travel back to the very beginning and ask yourself, is evil born or made?.. A mother’s love, formed in a haze of dolls and daisies is blackened by merciless addiction. A little girl seeks protection from the broken and abandoned, anything to quell the monster that comes at night. Corrupted by unspeakable cruelty, pious innocence undergoes a malevolent transformation. The elation of a first kill and the debauchery that ensues, culminating in a desperate run from the law. Deep inside the walls of Whittingham Asylum, the new inmate is tortured mercilessly at the hands of those who keep her. Consumed by a ferocious rage, she succumbs to the comfort of insanity. What emerges from the shadows is more evil and profane than any of her tormentors could have imagined.”
The album opens with a spoken-word intro. It’s a dark and eerie sounding conversation between Psychoberrie and here schrink over the phone where Berrie talkes about how much she loved – as in lovED – her mum. It builds a ominous, cinematic atmosphere which leads us to the opening track, the epic 8-minute “The Cradle Song” which starts out with the sound of a creepy sounding music box and baby-cries while Berries mom speaks in the background before the actual song starts off as a mid-paced ballad which hold some heavy riffs and a punchy drum. It’s a dark and haunting orchestrated rock-lullaby with dire vocals, a disturbed sounding accordion and a cinematic feel. It alters between soft and heavy and holds a bombastic and grand outlook. “You’ll be something special someday, you’ll see…” says mom. Oh my. This really gets under my skin – and I totally love it.
“Mister Babadook”, inspired by the great movie of the same name, follows. It’s the latest single which starts off with a child speaking over a piano-piece. It continues stripped and sullen with the laid-back piano and vocals before the band joins in, still on a slow note but with an upbeat drum-rhythm. Just when you think the band’s in ballad-mood the song takes a turn and goes into a darker and heavier mood with some gritty and edgy guitar-riffing. It holds a scary atmosphere and even though it takes a while for the chorus to appear, when it does it’s with some major catchiness, poppy but with an underlying feel that something wicked lurks in the shadows. I love this!
“Daisy Chains” comes with some weird arrangements and at first it gives the impression of an insane musical-theatre song with a twisted oompah rhythm that’s actually danceable. To add to the screwed scene, there are circus-music arrangements as well and a smooth vocal-melody that’s serene but also intense which makes for a cool contrast. You can add a bluesy Classic Rock guitar solo to that as well. Both the main-melody and the chorus is memorable and effective but the many different sounds and the topic about child-abuse – being an ordinary child until the first time mummy hit me – feels both disturbing and uncomfortable. This tune is a movie in itself. Brilliant.
More danceable rhythms comes our way with “Broken Toys”, an upbeat and rhythmic rocker that’s at first based on a keyboard riff but goes heavy as soon as the edgy guitar-riff comes into the picture. It’s groovy and bouncy but also twisted and throws a loony accordion our way for good measure. It’s a heavy and pretty straight-forward rocker, crispy and rough yet melodic and effective. The lyrical content has Berrie telling us that she still plays with her old broken dolls as they reflects her grown-up personality – broken. The insanity of Berrie really gets under my skin as the tune is part jolly, part disturbing – and it blends masterfully. So, so good.
More in-your-face, “Imago” kicks hard with some biting, heavy and fat riffing over a punchy and rough rhythm-section and brings an almost industrial vibe to the table and a dark and horror-like ambience. But there’s also a cool contrast to the effective and ominous surroundings in form of a spot-on main melody and a hook-laden refrain which works just splendidly and I do get why it was chosen as a single. It’s an angry and heavy track with an ending that brings an almost symphonic touch. “Do you want to know why I am this way”, Berrie asks and answers her own question with “the Devil now welcomes me as his guest” and that she’s now the Devil’s slave. Spooky shit indeed and another intense and brilliant tune.
Opening on a cinematic note, slow and laid-back with only vocals and strings, “A Goodnight Shot” brings on a rather broad soundscape with a ghostly atmosphere where I get the feeling of being inside a horror-flick. It gets heavier along the way on a slightly symphonic touch and the whole arrangement makes me feel like insanity is creeping on. Lyrically, this is where Psychoberrie’s evil starts to take over and the crimes begin, her mother being the target. “The vial of Valium should to the trick, I’ll slip it into your whiskey” and “I know where you keep your gun, mother” are strophes that tells you where things are going. Gnarly stuff, indeed.
“Burn The Witch” starts out slow and held-back but also ads a bit of an Eastern touch with a bit of an Alice Cooper, the DaDa years, insert within the main-melody. The the tune takes a whole different turn, going heavy and aggressive with punchy drums and edgy riffing, going all in for a Metal vibe. Below Ward XVI’s sinister and twisted melody-arrangements, I hear both Rainbow and Black Sabbath – very cool. The solo-bit must be mentioned as it really stands out. The song ends the same way it started – eerie and dark. Very good indeed.
We’re treated with some fierce Heavy Metal when “Catch Me If You Can” comes around. It’s heavy, hard, fast, rough and gritty but it also holds an intense and stompy groove with funky guitars and a solid beat. It also takes a progressive route where a Hard Rock laden passage leads to another more laid-back passage, something that brings a new dimension to the tune. On top lies some hooky melodies and a big chorus that sticks right away. Oh yeah, there’s also a banjo in here for good measure. Lyrically, Berrie states that she don’t have a car or cash but a bagpack and a gun, like an insane and evil Thelma and Louise in one. Killer stuff.
“The Verdict” is more of an intermission where the title speaks for itself. Berrie is given only eight years in an insane asylum for mitigating circumstances. Which leads us to the final song, the single “Shadows”, a gloomy piece on a ballad note, all sullen and mellow in a slow pace and latter day W.A.S.P.-like guitar line. It takes a twist and goes heavy, bouncy and bombastic in a grandiose, mastodon soundscape, all darkening and creepy. It finds Psychoberrie alone in a padded cell where the voices in her head speaks to her as the madness increases and they have done a great job letting the listener into the disturbed head of Berrie while the music gets more intense – it’s almost as you can touch the feeling of insane isolation. This one really gets under my skin. Awesome!
Firstly, this album was a bit easier to get into than its predecessor, much because this time I kinda knew what to expect. Does that mean predictable? Hell, no – anything but, but if you have heard their debut, you know what this band is all about. Style-wise, this is a Metal album but it twists and turns and there really are no musical limits at all. Which in turn puts the listener on its toes as there are things to discover all the time which in turn makes this an interesting listen from start to finish and it never ever gets even close to dull. Also, it’s easy to get lost in the story here, a story that blends extremely well with the music – what a great movie this could turn out to be. Or a musical. I guess you have guessed by now that this is an album that needs to be listened to back to back to get into it fully but when that’s done, you can easily take out a song here and there for a random listen as well – the tunes can stand on their own. It’s impossible for me to say if this album is better than the debut but it’s without a doubt equally as good. A mastodon piece of work and a brilliant album. Can’t wait for part three.
8/10
More Ward XVI reviews:
Tracklist:
1. Retrogression
2. The Cradle Song
3. Mister Babadook
4. Daisy Chains
5. Broken Toys
6. Imago
7. A Goodnight Shot
8. Burn The Witch
9. Catch Me If You Can
10. The Verdict
11. Shadows
CD & Festival reviews 