Waning - The Human Condition (2012)

In a world where drifting, melodic post-black metal acts are all the rage of late, it's practically offensive to me that Swedes Waning have not garnered more attention for their curious take on the style. Why spend the time and energy absorbing monotonous, effortless paeans to emptiness like the recent Lantlôs or Altar of Plagues releases when there is something so much more vibrant and effective just around the corner? Population Control was a promising lattice of compact drums, huge swaths of guitar tone and an almost organic influx of nihilistic urban-industrial subtext that permeated both the lyrics and composition; and it's successor, The Human Condition does it proud, if anything broadening the scope of the unsung quintet.

The guitars are kept simple, brazen and loud through cuts like "Beneath a Septic Sun", "Void" and "Continuum", presenting a cautious balance of consonance and dissonance while they wreak emotional trauma upon the audience. Virile melodic strains will often manifest off the primary thrust of the chords, but the careful threading of the bass against the dominant riffs creates a curious level of warmth and immersion, almost as if one were glimpsing out through a fluid womb to the blinding penetration of sunlight. Waning plays a lot with the tempo of beats, so that even a more straight ahead, driving riff is given an almost mechanical variation beneath, but the best parts of The Human Condition arrive when all of the varying instruments condense into some saddening contemporary black/doom passage like the bridge of the title track, through which tremolo picked guitars careen like crashing tears until the drums drop and create the bright, droning apparition of a climax.

Another contributor to the atmosphere is the vocal presence, which proves dynamic enough that no two tracks sound quite alike. Many feature the massive, drowning black rasp expected of the modern black metal genre, but then you've got a piece like the excellent "Through Fields of Mercury" in which a more somber, bitter tone is used to set up the more barbaric snarl. I could definitely make out an almost post-2000 Katatonia influence to the compositions, only this group embeds the dreamy, depressive riffing into a louder skeletal mechanism redolent of bands as widespread as Thorns, Neurosis, Void and Thralldom. The Human Condition doesn't haunt you from the woodlands, or harry you from antiquity, but it boldly screams at you from the surrounding, suffocating walls of brick, steel and plastic of the dystopia so many of us find ourselves lost in. It's abrasive and yet strangely calming, as if just knowing its pains are alive in your synapses is a comfort, and to that extent, I would place it just inches beyond its predecessor in terms of achievement and quality. Worth hearing.

Verdict: Win [8.25/10]

http://www.facebook.com/WaningOfficial

Waning - Population Control (2008)

To dub Waning simply black metal would not be doing the band justice. They possess a very warm fabric within their tone which is strikingly different than many other bands in the field, yet for all intensive purposes...the vocals and style of blasting, driving riffs fits well into that category. They also have an almost sludgy side to them, doom-driven yet unerringly melodic. Formed from the ashes of a band called Slaughtercult, they've certainly taken a step forward. Population Control is sure to stand out to anyone looking for some progression to the black metal style, similar to how bands like Enslaved have adapted.

The conversational yet noisy intro recedes into the solemn chords of "Shades of Grey", which repeat for a short period to encapsulate the listener into this universe of modern black impulse. Vocalist Robert Johansson has a deep, throaty take on the expected snarling, and he needs to if he is going to match the walls of guitar and machine-like drummer. "Left to Hate" resonates with a shining pattern of chords and some disgusting vocals as it transforms a sunny day into a grey and thundering mass of sludge. "Swarm" is an unforgiving onslaught of double bass and melodic yet hopeless sounding chords. "Crowning Apathy" moves at a slower pace with some subtle mystery to its catchy driving rhythms. "Further Down the Strain" is fast and intense, and the title track begins with an interesting sample of a Christian lady encouraging the flock. The final track "Hollow" starts with some mellow acoustics and then builds into a pretty engaging rhythm of sludging beneath Johansson's verbal vitriol.

This album has just the perfect mix to accent the band's guitar heavy tone and the extremely tight drumming. I'd like to see the band become a little more creative in some of its song titles but this is just because I'm an anal retentive prick. For what is offered, Waning do a fine job with the debut, and I'd easily recommend it to anyone who wants a modern, urban, nihilistic flavor to their black metal with an emphasis on mood over extremity.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.waning.se/