This is a very positively surprising discovery, a band from Portland, Oregon, USA, formed in 2014 with the mysterious name of Uada. The band has so far released only one album, Devoid of Light, which features five songs for a total playtime of nearly thirty-four minutes.
The album starts straightforwardly and without frills with the sumptuous and majestic initial riff of the opener “Natur Eclipse”, which has a vaguely Swedish flavour. The song, and the whole album, continues displaying a great deal of energy and impact: in fact, the album manages to combine different ingredients, it is energetic and aggressive at the same time as it is melodic and atmospheric. I would say that the sources of inspiration are essentially European bands, especially Mgła but with a hue of their own: the Polish black metal giants are more obscure while the Americans are more energetic and aggressive, but they have something similar in the melodies. I think that even Uada's outfit is very similar to Mgła's leather jackets, hoods and hidden identities (look at the picture). The lyrical themes revolve around an animistic and pagan vision of nature (you can guess it from the video of the eponymous track), but, once again, it is mainly divinities of European mythologies, such as Apollo and Orion, to influence Uada’s ideas. And when it comes to the production, it is bright and crystal-clear, no anachronistic fancy to resuscitate raw productions from the nineties, and this choice suits perfectly the band's sound.
To include, excellent and highly recommended album.
Notes:
Devoid of Light was released on april 8 2016 through Einsenwald Tonschmiede.
Personnel:
Mike Beck: Bass
Trevor Matthews: Drums
James Sloan: Guitars
Jake Superchi: Vocals, Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
The album starts straightforwardly and without frills with the sumptuous and majestic initial riff of the opener “Natur Eclipse”, which has a vaguely Swedish flavour. The song, and the whole album, continues displaying a great deal of energy and impact: in fact, the album manages to combine different ingredients, it is energetic and aggressive at the same time as it is melodic and atmospheric. I would say that the sources of inspiration are essentially European bands, especially Mgła but with a hue of their own: the Polish black metal giants are more obscure while the Americans are more energetic and aggressive, but they have something similar in the melodies. I think that even Uada's outfit is very similar to Mgła's leather jackets, hoods and hidden identities (look at the picture). The lyrical themes revolve around an animistic and pagan vision of nature (you can guess it from the video of the eponymous track), but, once again, it is mainly divinities of European mythologies, such as Apollo and Orion, to influence Uada’s ideas. And when it comes to the production, it is bright and crystal-clear, no anachronistic fancy to resuscitate raw productions from the nineties, and this choice suits perfectly the band's sound.
To include, excellent and highly recommended album.
Notes:
Devoid of Light was released on april 8 2016 through Einsenwald Tonschmiede.
Personnel:
Mike Beck: Bass
Trevor Matthews: Drums
James Sloan: Guitars
Jake Superchi: Vocals, Guitars
Text by Herjann
herjann@unholyblackmetal.com
