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It's easy to fathom why The Wake originally called themselves Bleeding Harmony ("‘bleed’ as in fingers on the neck of the guitar, and harmonies," so states their bio), because Gothenburg-style dual-guitar harmonies and riffing are the main ingredients of their sound. In guitarists Sakari Lempinen and Jani Luttinen (The Scourger member, whose place in The Wake is now filled by Markus Ahlroth), there is no lack of technical skill, and on that basis as well as overall style Death-A-Holic will hold some appeal for fans of bands like Arch Enemy, In Flames, and fellow Finns Children of Bodom (except for the absence of keyboards).
Unfortunately, The Wake do little to separate themselves from those or any other melodic death metal bands. Their guitar sound is rather generic, especially in the fast riffing that predominates on the album, "Downward Groove," "Good For Nothing," and "Mindless Wrecking Progress" being the biggest offenders. More distinctive are the riffs and rhythms of "Rejected" and "One More Day." There are also interludes which, as is often the case, hold greater interest than the verses or choruses, one of the strongest that of "Mindless Wrecking Progress," due to its diversity and extensiveness, and to the fact that The Wake don't make you wait as long to get to it as they do on most tracks. Eagerness for the onset of interludes on this album is inspired partly by the soloing they feature, which may not be incredibly unique but is fancy and well-executed. Some of the finest can be heard in the aforementioned "Rejected" and "One More Day," as well as "The Elbow of Zeus."
The pleasure in these (mostly) instrumental segments is also derived from the break they afford from Kaj Michelsson's one-dimensional harsh shout (not really a growl), another generic element of The Wake's music. I'm glad he's abandoned the unimpressive screeching that alternated with his normal delivery on their debut album, Ode to My Misery, but some form of variety would be welcome. Many listeners won't be bothered by the sameness and lack of creativity in the vocals, but for me they're a bore.
The Wake have the talent to generate some excitement within this much-practiced genre, and departures from their usual formula like the melancholic, effects-enhanced "Instrumental" (which is exactly that) are encouraging. Besides fine musicianship, the most admirable quality of Death-A-Holic is its pacing, which maintains a sense of relentlessness even when switching from its mainly fast tempo to somewhat slower parts, with tight, well-executed transitions. Such control and finesse should enable The Wake to experiment further with song structures. That approach along with a fuller sound and wider dynamic spread would do much to distinguish their music.
| Tracklist |
| 1. Suicide Manual |
| 2. Rejected |
| 3. One More Day |
| 4. Downward Groove |
| 5. Instrumental |
| 6. The Elbow Of Zeus |
| 7. Good For Nothing |
| 8. Mindless Wrecking Progress |
| 9. Death-A-Holic |
| 10. Nailgun |
: 40.16
| Buy other The Wake albums |
