"Sophisticated" is not a word bandied around too much in this underground rock scene, probably because the last thing many of the scenes fans want to hear infiltrating their crunchy and raw down tuned riffs and thundering rhythms is an air of sophistication, however a bit of sophistication and grandeur when used right can elevate some forms of underground rock to a whole other degree and that is the case with Italian foursome Waste Cult's debut album "Blame" (Aesthetic Death Records), Waste Cult, Frank (guitar/vocals); Pilvia (guitar); Noise (bass) and Claudio (drums/backing vocals), caused a few ears to turn their way with their self-financed, self-released and self titled EP (tape)"Waste Cult" back in 2022, a release that saw them jamming a sound that was rooted in the genre of doom but approached that doom from a more post-metallic and groove/hardcore direction. With their new album "Blame" they have refined that approach by also adding a prog(ish) element to the mix, a move that sees them bringing in to play that air of sophistication we spoke of earlier.
Opening number "
Ad Astra" is lyrically an observational piece that sees the songs protagonist looking at a world going to hell in a handcart and deciding their best option is to get as far away as is possible, vocalist
Frank telling us he is "
ready to go to the land of consciousness" in clean clipped and airy tones over a backdrop of pounding, but unbelievably busy, drumming, low thrumming bass and weaving/interlocking guitar duality. For its most part the song feels quite cosmic and spacious but there are occasions here where things get a little gnarly and a few teeth get bared, most notably in the songs mid -section where the vocals take on a slightly more visceral tone. Next up we have "
Delirium of Manners" a song that finds
Waste Cult railing lyrically against anything and everything in tones remote clean and slightly echoed over an off-kilter, slightly
Sabbathian feeling, wall of
doomic groove decorated with some fittingly
Iommi-esque guitar work. Title track "
Blame" sees
Waste Cult bringing those
prog-like textures we spoke of, in our intro piece, into play, not in an obvious way but with a modicum of subtlety, the songs groove still sitting very much within the
doom canon but enhanced with essences of a more intricate and complex nature, those essences combining with the songs sombre almost longing vocal dynamics and deep heartfelt lyrical content to bring an emotional element to the table not usually explored in this genre of music. Following number "
Blended As One" boasts ambiguous lyrics that depending on where your head is currently residing could point to a suicide pact, an unfortunate drug death, a mix of both or something totally unrelated, either way the song trundles neatly along on a groove made up of
post-metallic flavoured motifs and reverberating power chords supported by low growling bass and busy punchy drumming over which a wending vocal melody holds sway.
Prog and
post-metal textures are thrown out with the bathwater for the droning and heavy instrumental "
Kerberos" then collected up and brought back in for the equally droning but just a touch more complex "
Pictures" this song boasting a delicious soaring vocal accompanied by some nice backing harmonies and some truly scorching dual guitar interplay. Next song "
The Warmest Shelter" resides somewhere between heavy
desert rock and and
proto-doom and frames a vocal melody that if it were underscored by female vocal harmonies would be sailing pretty close to territories inhabited by
Chicago's Huntsmen. Final number "
Maze" boasts what could be
Desert Psychlist's favourite lyric on the album, "
lies take several forms, monsters disguised as right play with my sanity, hiding a forest behind the trees", these words sang in soaring clean tones over a musical backdrop that at its root is dank and
doomic but when listened to carefully is infused with elements of
prog-like complexity and
post-metallic intensity, its shivers down the spine stuff!
Waste Cult's first
EP was an impressive tome but one from a band who had not yet quite found where they wanted to be musically, new full album "
Blame" on the other hand finds the band exactly where they want to be musically while also showing us glimpses of where they might want to take their music in the future.
Check 'em out ....
© 2025 Frazer Jones
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