Band:	Wheel
Album:	Moving Backwards
Style:	Alternative metal, Progressive metal
Release date:	February 22, 2019
A review by:	RaduP

01. Vultures
02. Wheel
03. Tyrant
04. Up The Chain
05. Skeletons
06. Where The Pieces Lie
07. Lacking

Yeah, they sound like Tool. So did Soen and look at Soen now, defiantly having the highest rated album of 2019 on Metal Storm. So don't downplay Wheel. At least they got the idea that they should name their band with one simple word that names something vaguely useful to humans.

Finland isn't really the first place I'd look for prog metal that isn't either extreme metal- or power metal-inspired, since those two are the types at which Finland absolutely excels. But there seems to be a hub of prog metal beneath those as well, with bands like Amendfoil, Oddland and Sole Remedy, so joining these is Wheel, who, as mentioned before, really really like Tool.

Bad news is, Wheel sound like a more accessible version of Tool. The similarities are so huge that go beyond just a band being a big inspiration on another band, but rather a band trying its best to sound like and write songs like another one. But they don't really go as deep or as hard as Tool did and even if there are moments where I could swear I am listening to a Tool song, it still sounds a bit off or a bit more grunge-inspired; and as much as James Lascelles tries to channel his inner Maynard, their voices are still distinctly different.

Good news is, Wheel sound like a more accessible version of Tool. Since we haven't had a new Tool album for a few thousand days (though one may or may not be just around the corner), there have been a lot of bands that took a lot of inspiration from them, some moved away from that sound and some didn't, but it's Wheel who I found to be the only ones that almost fooled me. It's easy to try to sound like Tool, but it's not easy to actually write a song so good that could fool someone for being a Tool song. Wheel are amazing songwriters who wear their influences on their sleeves but are able to write complex and engaging music so that even the longer songs don't feel overstretched or generic or overly technical. They obviously don't hold a candle to the majority of Tool songs, but even songs half as good as the average Tool song would make this album worthwhile.

Wheel had to channel their influences to make an album that moves backwards to a time when their muse was in full force and they managed to quite do it. I expected to think "this is just inferior Tool" more than I actually did. But that said, you can clearly tell which band name has appeared most throughout my review. And it's not Wheel. They've proven themselves great musicians and songwriters, now it's about time they moved forward too.