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This Iowa-based outfit blends modern rock, nu-metal and
industrial with a prog-rock coating, offering a unique and
powerful soundscape which is often groove-oriented and aggressive/metal
without being actually too heavy in the expected way. Anything
slightly 'prog-metal' seems to always be compared to the most
obvious or popular of the genre- Dream Theatre or Queensryche
and the like. There's actually little of that here, instead
WOTMC offer up some dark textures closer to TOOL. Fans of
A PERFECT CIRCLE, GODSMACK and the like will like this disc
as well as the RUSH enthusiasts and anyone who may have given
the Blaze Bayley-era MAIDEN a chance.***
The lead vocalist is known as "LEMON" and has an alt-rock
delivery, and the guitars are used for textures and nuances
as well as the usual guitar-thing. Keyboards and sound effects
are used for texture and add a strong industrial dimension-
dark and angular yet not overwhelming, involved and progressive
yet accessible and not hard to digest at all. The music is
actually uncluttered and sparse in places yet holds enough
elements for depth, and the disc is rather short- just enough
good modern rock to fill you up for 40+ minutes and then leaves
town.***
the tracks include: BOLD ERA: a computer-like synth pattern
pulses underneath a prime slab of modern rock which opens
the disc. This is the obvious album opener which serves as
a calling card to those prepared to listen to the disc, and
a strong track too.***
GREEK THING: Flamenco-style guitar patterns weave around
a modern rock groove. The results are this odd Rush meets
Faith No More sound with a brief 'rap-metal' section. Nice
guitar playing too. ***
HURT: heavy grunge-laden track which would go somewhere
if played on MTV. Could attract a larger following.***
INSIDE: dark and atmospheric track which brings the album
back into more progressive waters.***
MINDTRAP: another heavy rock track with groovy guitars
and just a light touch of keys sprinkled around for whatever
reason they're sprinkled.***
PIECE: the shortest track on the album(just over 2 minutes)
rocks hard with some more aggressive bite to both the guitars
and the vocals.***
RESTLESS: same goes for this one in the guitar and vocal
department, and there is a slight KILLING JOKE brutality in
the vocals in places. Some abrasive synths finally come up
from the textures to let you know they mean business as well,
and yes-there is a 'traditional' guitar solo too.***
SYSTEMATIC MALFUNCTION: atmospheric track closer to a
PERFECT CIRCLE sound again with probing bassline and sparse
arrangement, minimalistic guitar and pained vocals.***
THANKLESS: kind of like a heavier KINO here. Nothing unusual-
every record's gotta have some sort of 'least stand-out' track,
though decent chorus.***
TIGERBONE: the longest track here(7+ minutes) is the
most involved, and evokes RUSH in places(if you can imagine
a HEMISPHERES/COUNTERPARTS hybrid). Drumming is swinging as
usual but gets a little more crafty, and synths come out to
play again. All of WOTMC's sounds come out all in this one
track, going through some groove elements, PETER GABRIEL-esque
middle section and some wicked instrumentation. Perhaps next
time out, Wreckage Of The Modern City should indulge in some
more longer pieces, because this one works well.***
WRECKAGE OF THE MODERN CITY are a decent band and SINGULARITY
a decent album - both of which hopefully could see wider success.***
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