Wolok/The Bilious Hues Of Gloom/Brucia Records/2022 Full Length Review

 

  France's  Wolok  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  shows  them  going  for  an  experimental  mixture  of  black  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  industrial,  crust  punk  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2022  album  "The  Bilious  Hues  Of  Gloom"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Brucia  Records.

  A  very  dark,  distorted  yet  heavy  sound  starts  off  the  album  while  the  vocals  are  mostly  angry  sounding  black  metal  screams.  All  of  the  musical  instruments  on  the  recording  also  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  some  keyboards  also  being  added  into  certain  sections  of  the  songs  and  the  music  also  gets  very  experimental  sounding  at  times.

  Dissonant  structures  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  while  industrial  style  beats  are  also  utilized  quite  a  bit  throughout  the  recording.  Most  of  the  tracks  are  also  very  long  and  epic  in  length  along  with  the  mid  tempo  sections  of  the  songs  also  adding  in  elements  of  crust  punk  and  the  deeper  vocals  also  add  in  touches  of  death  metal.

  The  slower  sections  of  the  songs  are  also  very  heavily  rooted  in  doom  metal  along  with  a  couple  of  songs  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  spoken  word  parts.  Melodies  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing  at  times  as  well  as  one  track  also  adding  in  a  brief  use  of  clean  playing  and  when  the  music  finally  speeds  up  a  small  amount  of  blast  beats  can b e  heard.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  nothingness  and  end  of  life  themes.     

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wolok  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  black  and  doom  metal  with  some  elements  of  industrial,  crust  punk  and  death  metal,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Yellow  Bile"  and  "Downfallen".  8  out  of  10.

  https://wolok.bandcamp.com/

Wolok/Rotting Heaven/The Anatomy Of Madness/Death Kneel Productions/2017 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  France's  Wolok  and  Russia's  Rotting  Heaven  called  "The  Anatomy  Of  Madness"  which  was  released  by  Death  Kneel  Productions  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Wolok  a  band  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  goes  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  style  of  black  metal  on  this  recording.

  Their  side  of the  recording  starts  with  clean  playing  and  some  experimental  and  avant  garde  elements  as  well  as  some  spoken  word  parts  a  few  seconds  later  and  they  also  mix  in  with  the  heavier  material  while  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  their  side  of  the  recording.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  or  grim  sounding  black  metal  screams  while  all  of  their  tracks  are  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  after  awhile  dissonant  style  melodies  are  added  into  the  guitar  riffing  and  some  of  the  slow  riffs  add  in  elements  of  doom  metal  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow  and  mid  paced  parts.

  On  this  recording  Wolok  changes  their  musical  approach  around  and  goes  for  more  of  an  avant  garde  and  experimental  style  of  black  metal,  the  production  sounds  very  dark  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  nothingness  and  end  of  life  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Wolok  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  experimental  and  avant  garde  black  metal,  you  should  check  out  their side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "Tremors".

  Next  up  is  Rotting  Heaven  a  band  that  plays  a  satanic  form  of  black  metal.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  the  sounds  of  war  along  with  a  few  air  raid  sirens  and  bombs  as  well  as  some  electronic  music  elements  a  few  seconds  later  which  also  leads  to  a  heavier  direction  which  also  introduces  melodic  guitar  leads  and  blast  beats  onto  their  side  of  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  sound  very  powerful.

  Vocals  are  mostly  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  while  melodic  singing  is  also  used  at  times  along  with  all  of  their  tracks  being  very  long  and  epic  in  length  and  they  also  mix  the  avant  garde  elements  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  and  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  decent  amount  of  melody  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking  can  be  heard  which  also  gives  the  songs  a  more  raw  feeling.and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  elements  of  classical  are  also  used  briefly.  

  Rotting  Heaven  takes  a  raw  and  satanic  style  of  black  metal  and  mixes  it  with  more  of  an  avant  garde  style  to  create  something  very  different,  the  production  sounds  very r aw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  cover  Satanism  and  War  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Rotting  Heaven  are  a  very  great  sounding  satanic,  avant  garde  black  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACK  "An  Altar  Of  Sacrifice".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  spit  and  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  avant  garde  black  metal.  8/5  out  of  10.

 http://deathknellprod.bandcamp.com/album/the-anatomy-of-madness.

WOLOK Interview

1. Can you all our readers a little bit about the band for those that are not familiar with your music?
To sum it up, WOLOK consists of three sick and repugnant musicians with no particular goal and no particular ambitions, as we just play our grim tunes for our own pleasure. To get more into the story, the band was created in 2003 LUC from ZARICH BAAL THARAGH asked me if I would agree on playing music together so that's how we decided to give birth to WOLOK, We released a first demo, Universal Void, which was re-released as an official album a little bit later through Northern Sky Productions (CD), Then we got into that split with REVERENCE and SONS OF FENRIS. Our second album was entitled Servum Pecus (CD / LP) and it was released through Eerie Art Records. For this record, Cypher from LA DIVISION MENTALE came in our band to take care of all twisted rythyms and drums. He's also in charge of all our mixing and mastering shit. A few months ago we released or third album called Caput Mortuum (CD) through Those Opposed Records. You should grab that one if you pretend to enjoy sick music.

2. What is going on with Wolok these days?
Well there's nothing special actually. Caput Mortuum was released in March 2009 and we're just promoting it with answering to interviews and so on. I still couldn't start composing some new stuff as I'm implied in other bands and have a lot of things to work on. Currently I'm getting soaked with the brand new songs of LA DIVISION MENTALE and I'm just trying to think how I can puke some lyrics on the music. The task is not easy at all as Cypher wrote his best songs ever. I hope it can measure up.

3. Has Wolok played any live shows, and if so what are some of the best places you have played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
WOLOK is definitely not a live band. The music we play does not fit the fucking stage.

4. What is the meaning behind the band's name?
There is meaning at all. Let me explain. Back in 2003, when the decision was made to create the band, I took a pen and started to draw a logo. I don't know why, but these letters came naturally,Fucking don't know why it ended up to WOLOK. At the time I was interested (and still am) in black holes, anti matter and so on, So a parallel was made. See what I mean. Now a few months ago, I was contacted by a guy who's called Michael Wolok and I must confess I have learned a lot from him about this strange WOLOK thing & really disturbing.

5. How would you describe your musical progress over the years and what direction do you see Wolok heading into on future releases?
Our recent works may sound more complex than our early stuff, that is obvious. Whereas Universal Void was more of a basic record I think that Caput Mortuum is much more abstract and hard to get in at first listening. Some people told me they did not understand anything at all they could not get the essence,but that's just because they're lazy cunts and are use to hearing the mainstream sound, you know. But I don't have any problem with that. I don't plan any release, I don't say guys, let's sound more complex, or let's sound more old school, this is definitely my way of working. I don't know what direction WOLOK wil lhead into on our next record, it will all depend on my mood and inspiration. That's just a matter of mood and inspiration.

6. How would you describe the lyrical content of the music?
All of our lyrics are very abstract,so I think I better not unveil any detail. Each listener has to get his own interpretation of the subject as he was staring at a painting. Roughly speaking WOLOK deals with deviance, death, religion, molestation, disease, pain, maggots. obscenity and so on and so forth... But as I said there is not one and only meaning. You just have to dig it on your own.

7. I know that the band members have participated in many different bands around France, are there any current projects, if so who are they and what styles of music do they play?
Luc is still puking in ZARICH BAAL THARAGH as he regularly releases demos. I guess he's also working on ambient stuff, but I'm not sure about it. As for as Cypher is concerned, he's currently working hard on on the new LA DIVISION MENTALE album, as I told you before. He's in charge of all musical direction and I'm just the singer. This project is a mix between Black Metal and Industrial atmospheres. Our first album was released in 2007 and I think you should have a listen to it. You can expect the new album to be released somewhere in 2010 and it will just be a must.And then about me I have been performing in DEVILISH ERA since 1998, though I decided to give it up about a year ago. Now all my attention is focused on WOLOK as it deals with my top priority.

8. What are some bands or music styles that have influenced the music style of Wolok?
We'll. I'm into various genres: Black Metal, Death Metal ( be it old school or uber technical) Thrash Metal,Heavy Metal, Doom Metal, Occult Rock... I can't say I am influenced by a band in particular as I do try to create my own music. And I think I succeeded. According to the reviews I have read here and there, WOLOK is often compared to bands such as Blut Aus Nord and Deathspell Omega,but I can tell you that there are absolutely my main source of inspiration though I am really respectful of their art.

9. What are some bands or musical styles that you listen to nowadays?
Right now I'm into THE DEVIL'S BLOOD. Here is a band I could speak of for hours and hours as there is so much to say about them. I discovered that band a while ago and it just changed my approach to extreme music. It doesn't need to be brutal or never-ending-blast-beat oriented or something to sound extreme. Actually I have not been impressed and possessed for aeons I can't tell you why. I can't tell you what is so bewitching in THE DEVIL'S BLOOD, you cannot depict with words, you just have to feel it and understand. I was attending the Eindhoven Metal Meeting a few days ago and I had the opportunity to the band on stage. And believe me, that was something unique.That was something unforgettable. Their live rituals can change your life and your vision of music, definitely Occult Rock at its very best. Unique band and unique sound. Just worship. Worship.

10. Does Satanism or Occultism play a big or small role in your music?
It all depends on what you mean for Satanism... What I can tell you is that my music is exclusively guided by my urges and impulses. Satan is more of a way of thinking; not another deity to venerate.

11. Besides music, what are some other interests that you have?
My non musical-interests are so various. As I've been working for a beer company for more than 3 years now, you can imagine how interested in am in the beer market. i'm a huge French wine connoisseur as well. But I doubt your readers give a fuck about it.

12. Any final words or thoughts?
Many thanks for your interest in WOLOK. May your readers get in touch with Those Oppossed Records to get our latest repugnant album. You can also visit our Myspace page as well. !! HYBERLINK "http://www.myspace.com/wolok " www.myspace.com/wolok !