ALBUM REVIEW: 1914 – Where Fear And Weapons Meet

Ukraine’s Blackened Death Metal offensive 1914 return with their 3rd album of war-torn extremity. Set for release via Napalm Records on October 22nd.

In true 1914 fashion, we begin the assault with a pre-Metal piece of music, adding that wartime feel to the record before the first shell strike. Drudging guitars and cymbals build in with an emotional atmosphere that grows, causing anticipation before hammering blast beats fire into action. The commanding howls of the vocalist complete the mix which is intense and feels unclear to a certain degree with the guitars and bass very low. Instead we see drums and vocals alongside some strings favoured while the typical riffing takes a back seat. With a more symphonic approach to the music than before, they have seemingly lost a lot of the Black Metal extremity and drifted more toward a cinematic sound. Those harrowing lyrics remain present, delivering an emotional performance that is definitely chilling. Also continued is the use of sampling to accentuate the thematic side of the record. The first couple of songs are a mixed bag, so it will be interesting to delve further, will these pieces be tied into a greater work, or just a series of loose fitting components?

Thankfully the presence of the guitars becomes a bit more noticeable as these guys do write some cool riffs, but the focus is definitely not fixed upon them. A lot of the songwriting feels like the easy options have been taken, whereas the last album had some really interesting dynamics and progressions, this feels far more like the safe routes were chosen which has led to the loss of a lot of the 1914 sound in favour of something much blander. On a more positive note, the playing is exceptionally tight and the rhythmic side of the music is incredibly strong. It just feels a bit lacklustre after the magnificent “The Blind Leading The Blind” LP which was so multi-faceted and dared to experiment much more (which is a total necessity when putting out 1 hour long records). “Coward” brings some folk into the album, unexpectedly, which offers diversity for sure. Perhaps ideas have run short and the concept is greater than the desire to write music or perhaps an overly compressed production, likely a mix of the above has led to a forgettable and disappointing new addition to the discography which hopefully returns to its former glory next time.

I will finish on some positive notes, as I was saddened to not have another incredible album to listen to following how much I liked the last output of this band. “Don’t Tread On Me (Harlem Firefighters)” for instance allows some thundering bass lines and diverse riffing to break through the monotony and gives us way more intensity as a result. It rekindles the hope that 1914 can still write gripping and beautiful yet haunting music. The grit needs to be there on an Extreme Metal record, especially when dealing with an unpleasant reality such as the gut-wrenching tales of World War 1, so hearing some melodic yet fearsome Black Metal was refreshing. Nothing too pristine or pretty, with plenty of aggression and anxiety to convey the adrenaline of battle. Sadly fantastic songs are few and far between, which for someone like myself who rarely listens to songs outside of albums for any prolonged period makes this a bit of a let-down. Definitely give that aforementioned piece a spin alongside “…And A Cross Now Marks His Place” which is a devastating cut of Doom-tinged Black-Death brutality that sinks into the carcass-strewn trenched for a more visceral, heavy and overall intense experience featuring none other than Nick Holmes (Paradise Lost) to assist in the telling of this incredibly sad tale of Private A.G. Harrison and his mothers grief.

“Where Fear And Weapons Meet” is certainly not a bad album, but feels like a much more sterile work than its predecessor. Blistering Blackened Death Metal with a swathe of emotional vulnerability has been replaced by a much more generic and average outcome. Some good Extreme Metal, but a step down from before. Undeniably we have some amazing tracks that shine with that former glory, but I cannot ignore the amount of mediocrity when giving my score. No disrespect for the talent of this band and their chosen path, this one just wasn’t for me.