Wykan - Brigid: Of the Night (2019)
About a year ago, we had our first
encounter with the Canadian group of Wykan, through their debut EP,
Solace. Though the band has
since replaced their drummer and bassist (now operating with Dug
Kawliss and Corey Thomas in those respective positions), their take
on blackened doom with a slight twist of psych rock has been
maintained and refined. Holding off on the harsher elements until
the engagingly sparse melody which opens the first track (“Imbolc
(The Cleansing)”) has pulled listeners thoroughly into its groove,
the band shows a deeper care for how the energy of the songs works to
the EP's structuring, and it's just one of the aspects which
demonstrates not just polish, but fundamental improvement.
When
the gurgling vocals from Barrie Butler kick in, they're underscored
by a gnarly but clean-toned guitar presence, a dynamic held for most
of the EP, serving up both contrast and some interestingly frictional
harmonies. Established melodies are revisited with increased
intensity, and in the space of just one (seven-minute) song, Wykan
show how much work they've put into their song-writing in the
intervening year. A smooth flow into song two, “Breo Saighead (Triple Goddess)”,
marks yet another fine touch, with the rise in venomous attitude
feeling like a natural progression, and the shifts in riffs are done
without sacrificing any of the momentum.
Last
of the Celtic-themed tunes is “Reul-Luil Bride (Star of Brigid)”, with guest drummer Simon McKay of The Agonist
getting some spotlighting as he slides his compelling percussion work
all about the drum-kit. Some more sweet riffing guides listeners out
into the sounds of a forest fire, and then things are over.
Production, performance, and composition are all done superbly
throughout the EP, and the songs are captivating without feeling
overwrought. Well worth checking out, this'll be available through
Wykan's BandCamp on a pay-what-you-want basis, so there's no excuse
for not giving it a twenty-minute test run.
~
Gabriel
For
Fans Of; Centipede, The Sleer, Trees, Trinacria, War Iron
~
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