MERIDIEM

Some bands come across as original. Some bands simply nail the melodies and catchiness of the music. Wastefall, I believe, is the former. Their EP "Meridiem" is as original a work of art as I have heard, but there is still something lacking.

I originally heard the track "Vulturnus", and I was thrilled. In fact, my wife was interested, too. The low-tuned guitars are heavy and played in such an off-tempo fashion that they end up gripping the listener. Even the lyrics and vox were interesting, and I couldn't really place the influences. However, like some other albums I've heard recently, I feel like "Meridiem" is a mixed bag, for each song is quite different. Many times this would be okay, but the EP ends up feeling unstructured and fragmented. There is nothing linking the differences in vox and style, except for perhaps a strangeness that pervades the whole EP. I almost feel like the band threw some different styles out there to see which would stick!

Wastefall can really bring the awesome grooves and thundering riffs, and they certainly know how to break the music down into more complex and progressive segments. However, I come away unimpressed overall, for the EP ends up feeling broken, incomplete, and like a mish mash of cool ideas with no connections or meaning. This EP shows promise for the future, however, and they certainly earn points for originality. In the end, that means something.