Brooklyn’s own black metal four-piece Woe is not a new name in the American black metal scene. Starting in 2007, this was a solo project of Chris Grigg until after 2008 when the band became full. Skipping ahead to now, the band have brought us their fourth full length titled Hope Attrition. This album is everything a fan of Woe would have expected and wanted. The whole album is full of small parts that catch your ears off guard when listening the first time. With all the fast pace riffs, chaotic drum work and otherworldly vocals, how can one not love this album?
Tracks like Unending Call of Woe and No Blood Has Honor are prime examples of the almost flawless composition and song writing skills this group displays. The guitar passages, drum patterns and fills are both all over the place but also very well thought out and planned, like controlled chaos. The songs can transition from pure, raw craziness to a beautiful passage and troubled screams. No riff, drum pattern or anything else feels repetitive or over done on this album. Everything here is unique and original, making this album not very comparable to anything else in my mind. Another plus to this album is the epicness of these tracks. Each song usually stays around the eight minute and above mark which enjoyable as I enjoy a band that can keep me captivated for that long.
Now is this album worth it to listen to once? Oh heck yes it is and I would say buy a copy. This band pulls sounds from many great black metal bands while sounding only like themselves. When you listen to them, you will think, “I’ve heard some bands like this” as well as thinking, “Man this band is so different from most black metal I’ve listened to!” Go ahead, thank me later for this gem of a band.
Overall Score: 9.5/10
Review by Neil Andersen
