Cast your mind back to 2009, a mere six years ago. ASIWYFA released their self titled debut album. An instrumental album that fused post and math rock sounds and heavy rock riffs to create an undeniably unique sound straight out of Belfast. A lot has happened since then for the band: Global tours, a band member change and two further albums. There has been a constant sense of movement as the band progressed, each album building on the previous. 2013’s album ‘All Hail Bright Futures’ was for me, the album of the year. It moved that instrumental post rock sound to a new level, employing many technical tricks (including limited vocals for the first time). Could the band take that level of progression and create another inimitable album in ‘Heirs’?
ASIWYFA have been busy bees, they’ve been compacting what they know down into technically proficient slabs. Those vocals are back again on ‘Wasps’ in even grander proportions, this time sounding like a dreamy Arcade Fire vocal, offset by a constant rolling drum and persistent techy guitar riff. Outstanding stuff, that leaves you wanting more. ‘Redesigned a million times’ is the first song to break over the three minute mark. This song doesn’t have the urgency of the previous tracks, but it builds nicely, with even a guitar solo of sorts. There are lots of little sound effects added along with vocal melodies, giving the tune a very summer festival feel.
There are so many styles all wrapped up and spat out in true ASIWYFA fashion, and no more so on ‘People not sleeping’. The guitars sounding like a wild mesh of Battles and Animals as Leaders, progressive but not self indulged, they always seem to be able to rock out without pushing it over the edge. Guitars meld effortlessly with the pounding drums. ‘Fucking Lifer’ provides an airier space with those dreamy type vocals once again pervading the senses.
‘A Beacon, A Compass, An Anchor’ has a post punk feel to it, driving rhythm that wouldn’t be out of place on an earlier Killing Joke album. A duelling guitar riff that could belong on an Iron Maiden album somehow fits over this more than comfortably. ‘Animal Ghosts’ squeals into life, it’s a disjointed and unsettling feeling until the wonderful offset of trumpeting horns and vocals.
The title track, ‘Heirs’ is the longest on the album weighing in at seven minutes and twenty nine seconds. It’s a progressive rock builder, with guitar style echoing Battles. Although the guitar has a math sound the overall track is a more laid back affair, slowly stomping along to a King Crimson style beat. Eerie reverb and echoed sounds create a forest like soundscape in the last break down, before the drums are unleashed in a heavy crescendo.‘Tryer you’ has a soft Caribbean feel to it’s opening, as if the album is finally going to rest, but it kicks in around the 3 minute mark to give us one last lift from an album full of highs.
ASIWYFA have honed skills from ‘All Hail Bright Futures’ and compacted and improved the formula. A truly unclassifiable sound, uplifting, and inspiring, perfecting a technical sound that is readily accessible (no mean feat). They’ve managed to boil down their sound to short, sharp, shocks that will be very exciting to hear built upon in a live setting. I think the title of the album ‘Heirs’ is for the listener – they have created, now it’s time to pass it on. An album that’s been redesigned a million times or more and all the better for it!
Heirs is released on the 5th May.
