Album Review: Ward XVI - Id3ntity
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
There was one very good reason why I wanted to review the latest instalment of Ward XVI’s tale of female psycho killer, Psychoberrie, and that was because I’d seen them live a few times, latterly with Skindred at the Olympia in Liverpool, and their blend of drama, music and theatre is bloody good fun to watch. So, I was intrigued to see if their new music would stand up to the stage imagery.
For those who aren’t aware, Ward XVI are based in the North West of England, and the first time I saw them at Rebellion in Manchester, I was stood thinking WTF is this all about? The stage show was a bit mental and reminded me of Alice Cooper, but it was more refined the second time round. “Regeneration” sets the scene, with the news reporting of the imminent release of the killer. It hypes up the drama, before the music takes over and pushes the narrative further.
Each song has an element of storytelling to it, which I suppose is the point of “Id3ntity” being the last piece of the trilogy. “Into the Wilderness” has the solos to back up the flamboyant stage drama that will obviously be taking place, followed by the intriguing question of “What’s in the Box”. The reveal in enticing and alluring, the music has that pirate themed nuance about it, before there’s an explosion of sound, with a huge drum sound from Bam Bam Bedlam.
The songs are interspersed by 3 interludes, which add more to the tale, and “Macabaret” is a fine example of what the band are trying to do with their act. With Psychoberrie on fine form, the added backing vocals from the rest of the band, gives it more potency and it will stir your body into spontaneous fits of bouncing around the room, so get ready. With previously released first single “Blood is the New Black”, they gave us a taste of what was coming, and it’s a damn fine tune to boot, with a pounding rhythm that gets stuck in your head. I particularly love the keyboards as it hints at evil intent but done to a disco beat!!
The eerie tension filled “At the Window”, which gives off true Psycho vibes, and the more sinister sounding “Spit on your Grave” precede the next interlude. The mood has switched by the latter of the two, the programmed sounds add more villainous intent, but overall, it has my mind thinking about what they’ll be doing on stage when it’s played. In parts, I would have preferred some of the songs to be a bit shorter in length, but when put together, this will be a spectacle to witness how this all fits together live.
We are led astray by the intoxicating keyboards and vocal harmony at the start of “Darkest Desire” but there’s a subtle, softer element in the middle section that breaks the song up quite nicely before we return to the chaos of the storyline with “Amoeba of Madness”, which has more of a controlled composition. One final interlude, explaining the beginning of the sordid affair, which precedes the grand finale of “We are Legion”, which has a huge sounding melody and will no doubts become anthemic and a fans favourite in the live arena.
All in all, it has left me wanting to seek them out once again, as they’ve taken their narrative, run with it, hammed it up and produced an album full of fun, frolics and frivolity.
