Promising Metal Debut
Australian band Windwaker, composed of Will King, Jesse Crofts, Indey Salvestro and Chris Lalic, released their fiery debut album Love Language. This forty-minute record has twelve tracks that have drawn strong influences from heavy metal bands, but there are also clear parallels to pop-punk bands. Love Language, despite its flaws, shows a strong potential for the band.
The band has been releasing music for around five years, so this album has been highly anticipated by their fanbase. Although the group does not have an extensive audience, their new record shows an intense degree of passion and skill. The patience and care that Windwaker put into their debut album shows that the band has a bright future ahead of them.
The first song, “Beautiful,” is a driving and high-tempo anthem. King’s vocals are enticing enough to draw in both metalheads and fans of punk. The lines are blurred, and the genre is nearly indiscernible, until a deep screaming voice reassures the listener that this is heavy metal. The lyrics at the beginning invoke the memory of System of a Down’s Toxicity. The social commentary —although sometimes bloated, feels like an homage to other famed metal albums like … And Justice for All by Metallica.
“Me + You, But Mostly Me,” is not only a great track on the album but one that highlights the personality of the band. Just in the title of the song alone, the band shows a tad bit of sarcasm without sacrificing the serious nature of the record. The song has a pop-inspired chorus that is infectious enough to gain the attention of any listener. Similarly, “The Rain,” not only has a strong chorus but a beautiful vocal performance from King.
The melodies and instrumentation are the greatest part of the album, and they show that the band really knows how to write a song. However, most songs on the record have obvious modeling after pop-punk songs, with “screaming” passages added in to appeal more to a metal audience. On the other hand, the songs are enjoyable and have the potential for commercial success. The songwriting feels familiar, and even the vocals seem reminiscent of Pete Wentz on Infinity on High. This fusion of genre mixed with nostalgia makes for an interesting listening experience. Feelings of familiarity and comfort abound.
In spite of its somewhat lack of originality and shoddy lyricism, Love Language is a strong and promising start to a very talented group of musicians. The band did not stumble through their debut, but instead rocked earnestly with their eyes wide and their heads held high. The effort put into this album makes it clear that the band put their best foot forward, and in turn, they left their audience wanting more.
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