We’ve got another nice album to review from Machine Man Records, this time it’s Worsaw’s “A Lesson In Violence” and from the first tones I know I’m gonna like it. Oh man…
Those first notes belong to a title track, “A Track In Violence” and this simple loop just evokes the spirit of DAF, before the drums and sampled distorted guitars bring us closer to realm of NIN, KMFDM and the like. If you are fan of said groups, you’ll like this material, that’s for sure. I am just a casual listener, so I’m not gonna pretend and write elaborate essays about it. Clocking 4:44, track is over very quckly (which is weird for quite a long song, but in a good way).
Second track, “Already Dead”. Well, not quite, I am pretty much alive. The song continues in the way of the opening one, and I like the lyrics (and also the fact they are, although little distorted by vocoder or something similar, quite clear). As I usually say – good I am not behind the wheel, that kind of music just makes one to put the pedal to the metal, so to speak. And the song is also reasonably long (basically all the songs are, what more to ask for).
“Civil War” is the title of the third track from Worsaw and we’re slowing down, but only in the way of music. Lyrically, it’s quite hitting, but then, hey, with a song title like this you’re not going to sing about pink unicorns. Nice sampling work and I want to slap me for not recalling who is that guy, who’s being sampled here. Damn, such a famous speech and I just can’t remember one name….I’m getting old, that’s for sure. Although the ingredients for the song are basically the same as with the previous tracks, thankfully it’s not boring as yet. Many times it wouldn’t be the case (if you wonder, why I’ve mentioned that).
And we continue with slower tempo in the 4th song “Extinguish the Flame”. This is the second longest track of the album, clocking in 5:30. But I think, unlike with faster songs, to follow one slow track with another, very similarly sounding, is not the best idea. Unfortunately, the song doesn’t have the weight to carry on for more than 5 minutes and although it’s not bad, it’s also nothing special of standing out with something memorable – apart from the last passage about 5 minutes in, when the song is getting a little faster.
“Knife of Fire” is – yet again – slow tune, but thankfully, here we are going from EBM to little more industrial, and I appreciate that, also, the sampled drums sound differently from previously used ones, and that’s a plus. Randomly placed effects and changing drums keep the song fresh and those choir vocals combined with the girl vocal sample, I like it! Overall, for 3:38, I would say, it represents a perfect template for songs here. Not overly long, not too short, nothing to complain about, just pure joy.
Crossing slowly to the second half of the album, we’re still continuing mid-tempo with “Mind Fucked”. The start is pretty standard, but adding sampled guitars lends the track the necessary power to sound proper. And I welcome using vocal samples again, I don’t know, there is something charming in hearing them in the songs. At least for me.
“Mind Stage” – similar title to the previous song, but I like it much better, with that sharp sample used it sounds pseudo-industrial and I like that. The song itself is similary to the “Mind Fucked” also in the song structure, but it’s much better, as it offers more diverse blocks. And did I mention vocal samples again? Yep, we have them there and it’s good.
With “We Say” we are hitting the best of the album. The opening bass loop again reminds me of DAF and the guitar riff sounds very familiar, but finally some great aggressive drums! I have to admit I love that sound of drums and it’s a real game changer. Some aspects of it also bring back the stuff Laibach did with “Kapital” and it made me like this song even more. As I said, it’s the highlight of the album for me.
Coming to the longest track of the album, 5:43 of “World War 3”, I was little afraid, for with electronic music it might be a little stretch, but thankfully, it’s diverse enough to get through. Don’t take it as negative, because it’s not. Vocally it reminds me of Wumpscut “Wreath of Barbs”, my fave tracks, the arrangement of sampled guitars help to carry the track through, although it might sound a little disruptive over the dreamy keyboard parts, but it works.
“Your Darkest Hole”, the last track before the bonus one, starts with that nice industrial feel, and it keeps the vibe throughout the song, so obviously, as I have a special love for cold industrial sounds, I naturally like it. It seems to me Worsaw gets better in these last songs, although structurally, the songwriting is getting quite discernible. Is it a bad thing? It might be, it might be not, it depends, of course.
And the final track, as mentioned, is the bonus one – “I Don’t Give A Fuck About You featuring X-Fusion”, nice EBM tune I connected to from the very start, as it reminds me of “Ecos” by Hocico and man, do I love that song – and I love this one too, I am almost dancing in my chair! I don’t know if Worsaw kept the best for last, or it’s just the coincidence, but any little complains I might have about previous songs are completely wiped out by the final track. Play it again, Sam!
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