Wilt – Wilt
Trudging through the gloom on Wilt’s S/T debut EP, this downtrodden, though promising duo have crafted quite a poignant statement as their introduction into a bigger world. Both members have spent time in other bands/projects, none of which I’m familiar with, but this EP thankfully doesn’t strike me as a throwaway entity. Brett Goodchild handles all the instruments (thank you ezdrummer!) and centers his attention on dissonantly charged, though memorable and depressive black metal with a comfort zone in the mid to slow tempo range. This speed effectively allows the riffs to drift into your subconscious in waves of hypnotic trance as witnessed on the track Cold Misfortune, so that when the speed picks up the pace, the impact is even more rewarding. Jordan Dorge’s vocals are a throaty and miserable (in a good way) mid-ranged, burnt out croak and even though his delivery is a bit dimensionless, the performance perfectly suits the cold and sawing timber of the music. Even though this isn’t a 1 man band, Wilt does take on that overall vibe, but thankfully has a lot more to say within the confines of their sound and riffs, to break away from any sort of connection one may try to pin this project to other unhappy (TM) bands like Xasthur and the like. The atmosphere on this 4 song EP is what truly sets Wilt apart from the glut of black metal hordes struggling for a similar nugget of recognition. The reverb soaked guitar tone is rounded off in its harshness giving the framework of this material a very roomy and desolate tone. The drums are just there enough to be a part of the delivery to not be noticeably fake. The solo work is highly developed as found on “Empyrean”, where weeping notes congeal into a melody line that really elevates the track to a higher level of maturity. Wilt’s sonic intentions are to obviously bring you down in the dumps along with the sad souls pining over these compositions and after 3 willing back-to-back spins of this EP, they did indeed smother any positivity that may have been lurking in the back of my mind. Wilt is a welcomed addition to the vastness of the Canadian black/dark metal underground. They have all their tools in place and can get even better as they forge onward. -Marty
Self Released
Worm Gear 