Album Review: Wheel - Charismatic Leaders
Reviewed by Chris Taylor
Three years on from the previous album, Helsinki Prog Metal legends Wheel have dropped their third studio effort, Charismatic leaders.
While the band’s previous outing Resident Human, was well received among Prog outlets and fans alike, Wheel seemed to relentlessly have their sound compared to Tool. I’m not here to argue whether that comparison was wholly warranted (it wasn’t), however Wheel’s new album should put that argument to rest. Charismatic Leaders brings all the momentum, scope and grooves that Wheel are known for, whilst also featuring their heaviest material yet.
The album wastes no time in hitting you with its heavy side. It goes off like a rocket with the opening track Empire. No brooding, or buildup just straight to the band’s trademark energetic riffing. The more mellow verses from Wheel’s previous work are still present, but when the track wants to get heavy it certainly achieves it, all culminating in a monstrous breakdown riff for the last minute which will make your neck sore.
It would also be remiss not to mention the vocal prowess of James Lascelles. His dynamic range from the most sombre moments, all the way up to the most epic continues to be a highlight. Picking a specific moment would do a disservice to the rest of the album, they are stellar throughout.
I have championed in the past how this band always knows when to keep a song short and to the point. Just because we are in prog territory, doesn’t mean everything needs to cross the nine minute mark. Empire and the track Disciple are a testament to that. How Wheel are able to concisely put so many ideas and riffs into songs that are under five minutes is a songwriting skill I wish I had.
That being said when Wheel take the time to create a song on the longer side, they are just as proficient at that as their short and sweet approach.
You’re certainly treated to some long songs on this album, with three out of the seven tracks going beyond the nine minute mark.
Submission takes the crown for the longest track, at ten minutes and forty six seconds. A stunning display of how you keep the listener’s attention for that long. You provide hypnotic guitar and percussion that pulls you right in, and the song actually progresses. The sections are clearly defined and are all at their perfect length. All this applies to the track Saboteur as well, which also brings in the new found aggression in full force, with chunky downtuned riffs giving the song so much weight and another monster of an outro. A highlight of the whole album for sure.
The quick and easy review of Charismatic Leaders would go, “if you liked Resident Human but wanted it to have more bite, this album is for you”. It could have been seen as a risk to add more grit to Wheel’s sound, as the previous albums certainly didn’t feel like they were lacking anything.
However it’s a stylistic choice that has more than paid off, as it feels like Wheel have evolved into something bigger. The new found edge on Charismatic Leaders has been integrated so well with the band’s sound you’d think it was always part of it. The one word that sprang to mind most often when listening to this album was ‘momentum’, which is apt for a band called Wheel. The music constantly feels like it’s moving from the hypnotic riffs that you get lost in, the keen attention to pacing and the dynamic vocals.
It’s one of the most satisfying Prog Metal albums I’ve heard since….well Wheel’s last album.
