Review Summary: Jef's typical walls of sound stylings, agonising vocal delivery, and surprisingly recognisable sampling and experimentation make for the most intricate and scenic tour into the man's mind.
Jef Whitehead (also known as Wrest): if you know the name, chances are you know the controversy associated with it. Acquitted of his charges in 2011, Jef described what he thought of those events aptly in his album released of the same year, "True Traitor, True Whore", but while inspiration might not have been lacking for the man himself, the output was less than stellar. With an unfortunately bland release, and bucket loads of controversy, a tired artist might seem daring to hang up the cape, but after an announcement in 2013 that Wrest was back again in studio, the excitement built, and here we are.
Scar Sighted is the strongest release to come out of Leviathan thus far. Jef's typical walls of sound stylings, agonising vocal delivery, and surprisingly recognisable sampling make for the most intricate and scenic tour into Whitehead's mind. Indeed the sheer volume of work that has been grafted to tape here leaves little doubt that this is the man's most dedicated labour of expression recorded since (his now second best Album) 2008's "Massive Conspiracy Against All Life". Ambience and repetition are utilised well here, the slow burning opening track leads into "The Smoke Of Their Torment" a brutal smack down of progressive riffs and blackened vocals that swirl like the snakes on the album cover, before dropping weight and softening things down to ambience and samples, this dichotomy is present all throughout the cd, allowing it to achieve something brutal riffs and blast beats can't achieve on their own, a heavy atmosphere. Despite the whole album being notable (to say the least) "Within Thrall", in terms of chug chug riffs and dynamics, is the heaviest song, a go to if you want but one facet of the monstrous, diverse, black sounds from Leviathan.
Beyond the haunting, depressing and bleak environments this album conjures up, much can be said for the stellar musicianship, Jef Pummels away technically and profusely at percussion, buzzes and swirls with muddy riffs, and deepens the soundscape with diverse and deep vocal delivery and lyrical content. Time, patience, and experimentation have all equally contributed to making music that tells us "this artist is not okay" but let him stay that way, because i need to hear more of what he has to say.
I said this album best sums up Jef Whitehead, now if i could pick a song from this album that is the best example of that, it would be the closing track "Aphōnos" from the greek meaning "speechless", this track is anything but, a haunting gauntlet of cries and screams leaves you sickly disturbed, the desperation in Jef's voice it's real and it's terrifying.
With his fifth release Wrest has truly come into his own with his most accomplished work yet, that sets my eyes confidently, and hopefully on the future.
