Review: WAIT – The End of Noise

Style: Prog Metal, Djent, Extreme Metal (mixed vocals)
Review by: Sabrina
Country: US-MD
Release date: 11 February, 2022

Hello reader! Have you ever wished djent was less heavy? Have you ever been annoyed by the high gain, crushing intensity of those blasting percussions, relentless palm-muted riffs, and wish bands like Meshuggah would take it easy for once in their life? Well, I think I’ve got just the album for you! Introducing The End of Noise, the debut by WAIT (Aka: We Are In Transit). This band takes the syncopated, groovy rhythms, and the palm-muted riffs of djent and delivers a final product much more on the subdued, atmospheric, and hypnotic side of the genre; maybe even more so than anything you might have experienced before. Yeah, this album is pretty damn unique but I can’t really say I’m a fan of the new direction they’ve taken.

Allow me to give a little bit more context into the band’s history. I instantly called “dibs” on reviewing this band the moment I heard that familiar vocalist of theirs. Their singer/growler/snarler, Max Phelps, as well as their bassist, Alex Weber, are two members from another underground progressive death band I love named Exist. I would consider myself a fan both of Exist (I cannot recommend their 2020 LP Egoiista enough) as well as the excellent work that Max and Alex have done live with bands like Defeated Sanity, Cynic, and Obscura. However, I will say there is an unequivocal stylistic divergence between Exist and WAIT.

During my attendance at a recent Obscura/Vale of Pnath concert in my area, I stayed behind to talk to Alex Weber while he was packing up his gear. I asked him who were the main songwriters of WAIT and Exist, Alex replied that Exist was much more of Max’s project, while Charlie is the main head behind WAIT. This, combined with the fact that WAIT got their drum performances from Anup Sastry from Intervals, tells me that WAIT is definitely much more on the djent-y side. Furthermore when comparing the song structures of Exist and WAIT back to back it is clear that WAIT does not build up to climaxes and plot twists nearly as well as Exist does, offering no more than a guitar solo here and there, which quickly translates to feelings of monotony in my experience.

And I do not use the word “monotonous” lightly; when they get a riff going, they will chug on, and on, and on. These chugging riffs are often mirrored by the drums and bass which really emphasize the rhythm of the songs. Each song has a couple of these groovy, rhythmic patterns which are topped with Max’s vocal style; a vacillation between eerie yet soothing croons and classic death metal growls. When comparing the overall aesthetics of The End of Noise and Egoiista, this feels less epic in cosmic magnitude and more subtle; kind of like finding dark, forbidden treasures in a spooky cellar.

In my opinion, the strongest tracks on this album are the shorter ones because these are more direct and meander less. It is definitely in the longer tracks where the weaker aspects of the album stick out. For instance, in “Lone Presence Supreme”, “Earth’s Last Orbit”, and “A Path to Travel” it feels like there is just as much quality content as in the shorter tracks like “Reverie” or “Half Funeral” but they drag these ideas out too thin. Incidentally, I also feel that these shorter tracks also have better hooks and sharper performances overall.

The End of Noise seems to be one of the more unique and innovative albums to come out during the first couple of months in our prog metal corner of the musical sphere, even if I wish there was a lot more melody in the music make the album stick. As is, most of the album will enter your body, and leave through your other orifices without giving you much nutritional value. Below are some similar bands that I think you will likely appreciate if you dig this kind of stuff. Stay tuned.

Recommended tracks: Reverie, Half Funeral
Recommended for fans of: TesseracT, Cynic
You may also like: Exist, Stömb, Alkaloid
Final verdict: 6.5/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Metal-Archives page

Label: The Artisan Era – Bandcamp | Facebook

WAIT is:
– Max Phelps (vocals)
– Charlie Eron (guitars)
– Alex Weber (bass)
– Anup Sastry (drums)