Album Review: Intolerance – Waking Nightmares of an Endless Void
Reviewed by Sam Jones
Moving on over to Spain we have Intolerance and their second full length record: Waking Nightmares Of An Endless Void. Formed in 2015 out of Zaragoza, the band released their first Demo a year later though it would be another four years before they dropped their first EP, Laments From The Dripstone Cave. Finally, two years on, the band independently released their first album titled Dark Paths Of Humanity. With another two years gone by and following a signing on to Godz Ov War Productions, the band have returned with their second full length opus as aforementioned prior. The shake-up this time however is the first album credit of new vocalist/guitarist to the band: Pedro Moscatel. This record is not only his first album credit with Intolerance, but the opportunity for the band to showcase they still have what it takes to keep their current fanbase engaged and that there’s more to come from a band roster that’s otherwise remained intact since their 2015 inception. So, having signed on to their first real label and a new album primed for a July 22nd release, I was curious to see what Waking Nightmares Of An Endless Void would hold for me.
I appreciate, straight out of the gate, how Intolerance showcase what kind of band they are, and what you should be expecting for the rest of the record. Once the first real track gets underway, their approach to extreme metal is made plain and there’s no questioning as per what shall follow. With grand riffs and tone, alongside vocals that are gruff and bellowing, Intolerance establish for themselves a portrait of death metal that isn’t going to compromise on the face of modern sensibilities or ideas. These guys have an explicit love for all things retro and their songwriting is a massive love letter to old school death metal, though there’s plenty to keep us engaged and their soundscape isn’t one constant flurry of notes. Their riffs and songwriting is meticulously crafted to give us an ever-evolving plethora of metal that keeps us hooked, so while you know what Intolerance are going to give you, they still throw in a few spanners now and again to keep us on our toes.
I absolutely adore the production that’s been applied herein. Though their sound is vast and you can feel the size of the space their sound easily occupies, it never feels like their soundscape’s resonance is so great that the band are having to cope with their own ambitions. Whilst the band play, and riffs bludgeon hope senses at every turn, the production possesses this keen, crisp timbre that’s attached to every end of the riff they’re playing. As a result, it creates the illusion of a cleaner record than what this actually is; in truth, this is a rather dirty, decrepit record that’s putting on the façade of a cavalier appearance. It also means the band’s guitar work doesn’t feel right up to your face, and thus you have breathing room to hear and appreciate all the band have to offer. Whether the band are playing at breakneck speed or employ songwriting that’s more methodical and steadier, the riffs always feel to be enough of a distance away that their impact is felt but nothing feels overwhelming.
I felt the drumming was really effective here because it never stood out brazenly to me. Drumming in extreme metal is littered with stellar performances and power that massively amplifies the record they’re played on, but Intolerance’s drums, while mighty, have been mixed in so they maintain a more subtle impact. Much like the rest of the band, the mix has entwined everything together so that it’s difficult to separate one element from the rest; remove one component from the record at any time and Intolerance would feel incomplete. The same dichotomy applies to the drums too, especially since they aren’t vying to be right in your business, opting to sit further back in the album’s mix. Yet this doesn’t lessen the impact they infer for Tom-toms and cymbals strike and resound with the same level of clarity the riffs and bass also result with. The bass drums too are prominent, though in a different capacity, for when they get going it’s not such a wicked deliverance upon the senses and seems to inject the bass and record as a whole with a little extra foundational energy than merely trying to pummel our ears.
Though the record is fast, and the band’s attitude brings great energy to the forefront, it never felt like this record was actively trying to outrun me. There’s an astute difference between merely playing quickly, and an unevenly, fast paced record. The band’s songwriting is riddled with speed, blast beats and unrestrained riffs flying off the handle, yet it never feels like you need to keep up with Intolerance’s pace. There are no moments where the songwriting clearly slows down for typically doomier segments; everything the band showcase keeps the momentum and yourself moving from one track to the next and therefore there isn’t a second where the record isn’t engaging you, or throwing you a curveball to see if you’re paying attention. In addition, the aforementioned production ensures this becomes a surprisingly easy listen since Intolerance never feel the need to put you to the test or feel they need to demand your attention; their songwriting and performances alone are enough to keep you rooted to their sound, giving them freedom to do as they please because they know fundamentally you’re complying to the ride they have prepped for you. They do well in writing longer tracks too, since it gives them time to open up songwriting, develop track that little more, whilst still maintaining their prowess for nicely paced music.
In conclusion, Intolerance absolutely smash this record out of the park. It’s an aggressive, seething album that doesn’t pull its punches but never feels so eviscerating that you can’t pay attention to the finer details as to why you enjoy it so much. It manages to capture that old school aesthetic without implicitly phoning it in, for at no point did I ever think Intolerance were trying to recapture one of their influences, or emphasise a band they dearly adored. Everything the band offer is pure Intolerance from start to finish and, as the record came to its conclusion, it felt like something that I had already listened to before. This wasn’t because the band were ripping off another act or anything like that, it was because their songwriting felt so organic and the exact riff or vocal intonation at the time just felt like the right move to do. Waking Nightmares Of An Endless Void is one of those records that’s seamless to be introduced to, and is extremely easy to enjoy because the band keep things straightforward and don’t attempt to give their audience anything complex that would upset the general vibe Intolerance otherwise purport. I ended up seriously enjoying this record and would gladly recommend this to anyone mad for their death metal. Intolerance are a band to watch for.
