Labels: Hydrogen Man – Stonehenge
Review by: Alex Deller
Woodwork play heavy, politicized, chun-chugga-chun metalcore, and while this makes for a reasonably straightforward listening experience it actually brings a whole bunch of different stuff to mind. The open-e string riffing and leftwing sentiment are redolent of Chokehold, while the jagged edges and purposeful surge remind me more of late 90s/early 00s acts like Aclys and Soar. There’s also a confident sense of toughness about things that seems less in line with such HeartattaCk fodder and more in league with Chain Of Strength or the first SubZero record … an odd collision of worlds for sure, but one that works nicely and should suit fans of Zann and Burial Year down to the ground. As an album it’s well-paced, dynamic and varied enough that the chun never has chance to wear thin. This said, though, it deserves a bit more oomph in the production stakes … things sometimes seem a tad too thin, and while I reckon they have the power to take your head off live they still have a way to go before they reach the genre’s craggy apex.