Band:	Wheelfall
Album:	Interzone
Style:	Stoner metal
Release date:	November 2012

01. (Prelude)
02. Howling
03. Holy Sky
04. The Parasite Ravages
05. It Comes From The Mist
06. Interzone

The Metal Storm 2012 Awards are fast approaching, so let me just come right out and say it. In the category of best debut album, Wheelfall's Interzone is a serious contender. If you're at all familiar with William S. Burroughs, the legendary Beat Generation writer, you probably would've recognized that the album title is an ode to the place wherein most of the action in Naked Lunch takes place. This underlying respect of classic psychedelia/sci fi culture that adorns Interzone helps make it a very enjoyable (a bit different as well) album that is fun not only for those who like such elements to begin with, but also a bit mysteriously enticing for those who don't.

Aside from the sci fi themes, the other factor that makes Interzone so pleasant a listen is its catchiness. There are enough memorable grooves and "bouncy" riffs here to easily be on par with Sleep's Holy Mountain or Blues For The Red Sun, and that is by no means an exaggeration (the opening one on "Howling," in particular, has had me humming it ever since I've heard it). The formula's quite simple: heavy, blues-based melodies in the vein of classic Sleep, Kyuss, and Black Sabbath, and its delivery packs a punch. But wait! There's one more twist that makes both Wheelfall and this album a big eyebrow-raiser. The vocal delivery is very harsh, and at times the vocalist actually reminded me of Gojira's Joe Duplaintier (listen to "The Parasite Ravages," especially, and you'll see what I mean)! This can seem odd at times, but if one really considers it, it goes hand and hand with the band's sci-fi, somewhat dystopian themes. To emphasize them, Wheelfall would (at least in theory) need to go for a bit of a "tortured" sound with their vocals, and the band does just that excellently.

The only issue I have with Interzone is that I, personally, feel that the composition isn't as advanced as it could have been, and being a musician myself, I felt as though the band throwing in some synthesizers and/or a more "atmospheric" guitar tone really could've helped to embellish the whole sci-fi vibe even more, but perhaps that simply wasn't the approach that Wheelfall were going for, so I can't complain. Anywho, taken for what it is, Interzone is a well-crafted delivery from a young and relatively obscure band. Whether it's the "trippy" ambience of the album's intro, the hook of the riffs, or the Yob-like monster of a title track that one can get completely lost in, Interzone's package is put together quite nicely, and I'd be very surprised if stoner metal fans don't enjoy this one. Is this the debut album of 2012? Quite possibly so, or at least it is for stoner metal. Crank it high, my metal brethren.

Listen at Bandcamp.