Best of 2020

9) Wake - Devouring Ruin

I made mention of the warning sirens of heavy metal in my introductory post. I believe this phenomenon is real, that fringe culture is a sensor of sorts exploring concepts and ideas that haven’t made their way into mainstream culture. The fringe will always be seen as frightening as it’s an expression of the unknown. It doesn’t have the advantage of passing through filters to soften its edges. It doesn’t have the benefit of a multidirectional perspective. So what did the fringe of heavy metal express this year? To me it feels like punishment for the mistakes we’ve made. There was so much hatred expressed, as if the fringe has given up on mainstream culture and is now seeking retribution against us.

I’ll attempt to express this sentiment in the form of a trilogy, Hatred from the Fringe, for the next three reviews. These three albums are torturous to sit through. They, at the same time, had some of the most inspired song-writing. The ideas in the lyrics, the complexity in composition are proof that this is the music we should be listening to. This is the penance we should be submitting to. This is our punishment for participation in something evil.

First in this trilogy is Devouring Ruin by Wake. Wake has never crossed the 30 minute mark with past releases for the simple reason that they were, up until this point, a grind band. Grind, being characterized by its condensed hatred, a swirling chaos that never takes too long to express. Devouring Ruin is 45 minutes long, so this is something different, something scarier. Wake is playing with more atmosphere here, taking what would normally be a 10 second riff and elongating it until all you’re hearing is a horrible unending dissonance accompanied by lurching grooves. At times these writhing sounds form into malignant hooks, capturing the memory, giving you something to look forward to with the next spin. For Wake to approach their craft in such a different way and for it to be this haunting is impressive.

“We've sealed ourselves in this casket
Together, in suffering
We'll expel all our righteousness
Expel all life to the darkness”