Caliban. Heaven Shall Burn. We Butter the Bread with Butter. There’s tons of great metalcore to come out of Germany, but it’s been a while since bands like that have conquered the scene. Enter One More Word, a band out of Hamburg spawned in 2016. With just an EP and some singles under their belt, it’s high time the metalcore act’s debut LP, Wheel of Suffering, is brought into the world.
Wheel of Suffering starts off with “Inner Demons” with the hallmarks of metalcore at the forefront, namely a strong breakdown riff and furious fretwork. Strings, a sick solo, and a chilling growl near the end make this a memorable album opener. “Darkest Days” goes straight from piano to blast beats in a hard-hitting procession. Strong variation in the unclean vocals made me think there was a guest vocalist, but Jugy’s range is just that good.
The newest single, “The Illusion of Time” is melodic in nature and utilizes more of the aforementioned great growls and shows One More Word can add clean vocals tastefully, as well. Another single, “Trapped,” was my introduction to the band and got me hooked with its hard-hitting, powerful production married to stellar riffs. This time implementing synth, the breadth of influence becomes apparent as the reminiscence of Born of Osiris and Veil of Maya is audible.
A pleasant fade-in welcomes “The Eagle and the Snake” opting for a more mellowed intro. The more deliberate, focused track, “moving on” and “spreading wings” make for an impactful lyrical emphasis. “Momentum” has just that, carrying another melody with gang vocals and intricate drumming. A solid breakdown 2 minutes in keeps the listener enthused through track 6, typically the point in a record where fatigue may set in.
“Out of Sight, out of Mind” has the best verse yet with a blistering pace to match the general heaviness. With so much going on thanks to ample layering, it’s my standout deep cut from Wheel of Suffering. Next up, “Forever” has a female vocal feature that creates a great back-and-forth with the cleans and gets time to shine in the chorus.
With several more riffs in store, “Total Eclipse” maintains a breakneck pace from start to finish, allotting for more succinct clean vocals in the chorus. At long last, the title track sees an interlude in standoffish vocal delivery and a renewed emphasis in melodic tones. The final track, “Noah,” kicks off acoustically, showing off the somber side of One More Word.
Wheel of Suffering is a quality metalcore record with some much-needed variety exuded from One More Word. It’s a landmark for the band in an underrated region for the genre. While the interlude would have made more sense placed somewhere in the middle of the album, I can’t complain with the content provided. Give it a spin when it releases May 15th!
A press copy was provided courtesy of One More Word.
