Ward XVI
Id3ntity
Earache Records
It may be a touch obvious to say that art as a form of human expression is a way of telling stories through different mediums, but there are few bands out there that embody this better than the UK’s Ward XVI. With thrillingly macabre live shows and a rock-solid narrative delivered via tremendous hard rock riffage, the North West-based mob have storytelling down pat. The band chart the story of serial killer Psychoberrie, and their third album, ‘Id3ntity’, sees the dark and twisted tale reach its crescendo with a wickedly varied series of tracks that run the gamut between bludgeoning and madcap. Of the latter, the flamboyant “Into The Wilderness”, resplendent with Gregorian-esque choir, adds grandiosity to the fold, whilst album-highlight “Macabaret” sounds like a nightmarish, asylum-led circus, replete with blaring horns that swirl around ringmaster Psychoberrie’s hoarse vocals. For the former, see the straight-up heavy of “Blood Is The New Black”, but do take notice of the three-part-punch of “Spit On Your Grave”, “Darkest Desire” and “Amoeba Of Madness” – as the story gets to the juicy part, so too does the music with a despairing atmosphere weaving itself into the tapestry. Unlike many concept albums, Psychoberrie’s tale on ‘Id3ntity’ is clear every step of the way (no squinting through metaphors here), whilst the production seemingly has a wonderful old-school quality about it that stands out amongst the glut of modern sheen albums. Marry this to well-crafted music, and what you have is a tremendous conclusion to Ward XVI’s Psychoberrie trilogy.
Review by Lee Carter