Wastelander: Wardrive

Wastelander came out of nowhere to produce one of the biggest surprise albums from 2008. The band features a sound that calls to mind groups like Motorhead, Venom, Hellhammer, and Sodom. They play a combination of styles including crust punk and thrash metal, all played with a blackened style. Their sound is raw, intense, violent, and downright filthy.

Wastelander's music is fairly simple, but that is to be expected as the band is playing a primitive style of metal. The riffs are straightforward and not terribly complex, but they are presented in a high-octane energetic manner. There are guitar solos but they are often played very fast and over as quickly as they began. The vocals are sometimes delivered in an early black metal shriek, but are oftentimes shouted. These occasional vocals are the only real black metal influence on the album, although the riffs have an early Hellhammer/Venom feel to them at times.

The band's sound is heavily rooted in early punk and thrash metal. The guitar and bass riffs are heavily distorted, having a sound very similar to a much more punk-influenced Hellhammer. Even the vocals occasionally have the Tom Warrior grunting quality to them.

The album is short, being just over 36 minutes long and most of the songs are similarly brief. The band keeps their energy level up throughout, playing infectious and even somewhat bouncy songs throughout. The whole album feels like the band is having a great time playing. This sense of fun comes across to the listener very well making a very enjoyable listening experience.

The lyrics mostly deal with the apocalypse and post-apocalyptic situations. They are clearly influenced by movies such as Mad Max and other post-apocalyptic b-movies. Despite these bleak lyrical themes, the album is definitely not a downer.

Wastelander's debut album is an energetic travel through time. It is a combination of old school styles of punk and metal combined into something that feels fresh. It's an intriguing take on styles we have all heard before, but Wastelander pulls them off very well. This is a great first album for the band and they have a promising future.