Strong offering from French rockers, Wedingoth
Wedingoth are a French band who recently released their fourth album, Five Stars Above. This CD is my introduction to the band, but I was sufficiently impressed to start exploring some of their earlier material, and so as a taster for you in advance of the review of, and music from, the latest work, take a look at The Painter, a video of a track from their 2016 release, Alone in the Crowd.
They have been a recording act since 2009 and ostensibly sit in the prog metal space, but there is more to them than that. There is a definite sense of the dramatic and operatic in their music, and what hit me straight between the ears on opening track, Dear Universe, was the sheer quality and sonic pleasure of the voice of vocalist, Céline Nephthys. Believe me, if you like your rock music female fronted, you could do a whole lot worse than this offering.
The remainder of the band consist of Steven Segarra on guitars & keys, Manon Fortin on bass, and Stéphane Rochas on drums. There is an appearance by keyboardist Olivier Castan on Cross the Mirror.
So, to opener Dear Universe, which starts in a quite lovely pastoral manner with pretty keys and acoustic guitar before that voice hits you. Lyrically, this is a paeon to the wonder of creation, this incredible world and journey humans are on. Musically, I think that fans of Mostly Autumn will find a lot to enjoy in this, a very strong start to the album. It veers between the pastoral, heavy, soaring and always retains your interest.
The closing few seconds with a distorted guitar segue into the following track, Masterpiece of Life, an altogether heavier (and longer at nine minutes) affair with crunching riffs over which parping keys soar. The rhythm section is particularly strong, with some exceptional basslines created by Fortin. Just over two minutes in, you get that sense of the operatic, with voices overlayed upon each other and the riffs and pulsating keys pushing along with the lyrics discussing creation. Segarra produces a wonderful guitar solo, his first of the album, and this is a pleasing slab of rock music, and I especially enjoy the final passage of music which shows a distinctively commercial sensibility. The video is embedded below.
Dear Man on Earth is a short track with some blues and psych thrown into this heady mix of an album. The vocals are simply gorgeous before a moody guitar overlaid by more of those pulsing keys take us out. This track could well figure as a contender for this website’s favourite of 2023 by the year end.
Time opens with some ticking clocks a la Floyd, but there any comparison ends. The keys and percussion bring us a definite symphonic feel. Lyrically the track is somewhat interesting talking about the “death of time, where no one will hide” and referencing the undead. The blast of noise just short of two minutes in takes the track to an altogether stormier place and there is a very dystopian guitar riff amongst this, perhaps signifying the end of days, exemplified by a crashing drum riff. There are some more very interesting chanting effects in the mix above the main vocals which end with a single cry presaging the final instrumental passage full of riffs and dramatic effect.
The Spaceman is up next. The drum pattern which opens it is a delight and the chugging riffs accompany this perfectly naturally. The vocals talk to us of space in all its infinity and beauty, flying through it. Put on your headphones on a dry, warm, summer’s night, lie down, and gaze up at the heavens whilst allowing this track to wash over you with its complexity and drama and the ridiculously catchy denouement.
I Don’t Care is a darker affair. The riffs are relentlessly dystopian and this track talks of a rather more cynical view of the nature of humanity, with our seemingly relentless selfishness and the band as a collective put across their anger perfectly with their call on us to open our eyes. One day, perhaps, but until then take your anger out with the poetic guitar solos and ear-splitting post rock noise the collective produce. The closing effects are very good. Very impressive, very intelligent, and something I will return to with regularity. The track is embedded below.
Cross the Mirror is the track featuring the guest keyboardist, and Castan makes an impressive noise alongside some deep drum & bass – throbbing and very good. The track has a pleasing commercial feel to it, and it all races along at a fair old pace. The guitar solo two and a half minutes in is gorgeously dark and full of dripping emotion, as is the matter of will vocal passage. The closing couple of minutes are begun with a fine dramatic build-up before the track’s inherent melodic root reasserts itself. A very enjoyable track.
The penultimate track is My Own Sacrifice, an epic over fifteen minutes in length. It is an early contender for Epic of the Year on this website’s annual awards.
It has a pastoral opening and throughout the bass is once again particularly noticeable – Fortin could well be my find of the year. Her riffs and melodies are to die for. As the main section of the song rises, this is a slow burner, with some Led Zep circa Physical Graffiti influences, especially on the keys, coming to these ears. There is just over four minutes in a distinct change in direction and tone with bells and an urgent acoustic guitar – the bass melody here is about the loveliest you will hear played on that instrument and this passage is beautiful, with soaring vocals and a very thoughtful guitar solo as the highlights. When this passes into the third movement, we have some crunching chords, with such a menacing bassline beneath it which must be heard to be appreciated and we then have a fantastically crying guitar solo in which Segarra excels himself, all the while the band pushing along underneath. All of this then takes us into the closing stages, presaged by an operatic segment and thinking we would move to a grandiose finale, whereas, in fact, the last “word” goes, very appropriately, to the bass and a melodic line.
There is a danger with a track this length with so many changes in mood and tone that a band can disappear up its own backside – too much going on and trying to be a wee bit too clever. Wedingoth avoid this. This is a very good progressive rock track which highlights all that is good about them, and I remain deeply impressed after listening to it several times preparing for this review.
Love closes the album. As I mentioned in my comments on the opener, what hits you here from the off is the sumptuous voice of Nephthys. As a rock ballad this piece works very well, and those who appreciate expansive radio-friendly rock music will find much to enjoy here - I do, by the way. There is no snobbishness about such music on this website. Lyrically, this piece cries out its love of the view of space, and after the huge expanse of noise, you are allowed in the final thirty seconds to come down to silence.
I have said many times over the years that the life of a music reviewer is a blessed one. I am sent a lot of music, and Five Stars Above has been a particular treat. A very talented musical collective and an album which comes highly recommended. You can listen to their music at https://wedingoth.bandcamp.com/
