Album Review: Wildways – Into The Wild

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity; and in a sense that’s true. Sure, some outlandish activities can harm the image of public figures, but I’d say there’s a very slim chance it does any long lasting damage as people tend to have short memories. What’s this have to do with music? In reality almost anything as music thrives on publicity. Artists, however big or small, need to have attention to get known, make a living and further their careers. When Wildways (previously known as Sarah Where Is My Tea) was introduced to the world via their signing and album announcement with Artery Recordings in early January, it was done so without much notice. That changed in early February with the release of the bands over-the-top video and song “Faka Faka Yeah”. With ass shaking, twerking and quite honestly terrible lyrics, the band was compared to a worse off version of everyone’s favorite hate-able band, Attila and the underlying question was, how are these guys signed? The answer — because of the rest of the album.

[tw-toggle title=”About Wildways”]
Genre: Metalcore
Label: Artery Recordings
Release: March 25, 2016
Connect: Facebook | Twitter
Purchase: iTunes | Google Play
[/tw-toggle]

Saying that Wildways is a metalcore band is extremely hard to justify. While some of the instrumentation and sparse use of harsh vocals tend to sway music into a “-core” genre, the album is one of the most diverse pieces of music that I’ve heard. The band shows off their willingness to take risks, not stick to a singular sound and offer up a delivery and presentation that you can’t really compare to something else. This becomes apparent straight from the beginning of the album, which opens up with a track called “Skins” that shows off a much more melodic side to the band and is actually a solid representation of Into The Wild as a whole. There’s elements of group vocals, acoustic guitars, orchestral arrangements and synthesizers that create a very approachable and catchy sound that continues from the first track to the last. Due to the bands origins, there is a noticeable accent on the lyrical delivery, but the vocals come through clear and with a faster, almost rap stylized delivery. I tend to enjoy the music that gets me to jam out, sing along or toe tap to, and Into The Wild ticks all of those boxes.

Wildways – Faka Faka Yeah (Music Video)

NEW album ‘Into The Wild’ out NOW! iTunes: http://smarturl.it/p9gzpq Merchnow – http://smarturl.it/dpcz5m Google Play – http://smarturl.it/t0p1ys Amazon mp3 – http://smarturl.it/qqfnzmzm Director: Sasha Nekrasov Camera: Vladislav Bakhanovich Producer: Anastasya Zavadskaya Production: http://1994production.ru Make sure to “Like” and “Follow” Wildways on Facebook and Twitter! https://www.facebook.com/wildwaysoffi… https://twitter.com/wildwaysband

As the album continues, the diversity in sound takes center stage and continues to throw curveballs at what to expect next. “3 Seconds To Go” starts off with a heavier synth, growls and clapping before turning into a partial rock song while songs like “Sirens” and “Slow Motion” opt for a more toned down, alternative rock sound that could garner radio play. For those expecting more songs in the vein of “Faka Faka Yeah”, the closest resemblance lies with “D.O.I.T”, but those are the only two tracks of a similar style. “Princess” is easily my favorite track off the entire album, using toned down, melodic instrumentation and a violin backtrack with a near flawless female vocal guest spot, the track is perhaps the most accessible and straightforward on the album. “Wings” is a pop-esque track that sounds like it could belong in a Disney movie and the album closer “Not Alone” reintroduces the faster pace with haunting vocals, furious drumming and outstanding guitar work.

The risks of Into The Wild are outweighed by the successes of the album, which take your expectations and completely flip them around. These same risks are what led to the band changing their name almost 2 years ago. With a new name, new style and new purpose, Wildways seems to be more than a simple band name; it’s a personification of the people in the band who are doing whatever they want and breaking all the preconceived notions that music has to sound a certain way for certain labels and certain genres. In reality, that’s what music (and all art) is about – and for that, I applaud them.