A Driving Metal Album from wireless frank.n.stein

A new album released from wireless frank.n.stein brings out a flurry of incredibly well-performed, semi-theatrical, melodically driving but slightly haunting and edgy metal approaches that come together with this outstanding sonic presence, addicting riffs, and animated vocals that help drive the record, and the whole thing embodies a very particular atmosphere that's all its own.

One of my favorite aspects of the Journey to the Wasteland album is that it does have a cinematic undertone and some vast feels along with the driving metal. This is not a one-tone record. This has a lot of different directions that it goes at times, and still somehow embodies this very well-produced metal overtone that hits like a sucker punch to the gut.

The introduction to the record is a cinematic track called "Disconnected", which does a great job of opening the door to the record and giving you some of the thematically thriving elements that some of the full release boasts.

This goes right into the first track, "Electric Monster", which comes right in with a driving riff in classic metal style and absolutely hits with big, robust, and almost anthemic vocals

Again, to me, this is almost like a theatrical metal approach, and the whole thing is boisterous and has a huge vibrancy to it that pulls you right into the songs

A lot of the songs tell stories, and at times, it feels like they interconnect with each other like a concept album would.

There's a lot about this that actually does feel like a concept record, and it's songs like "Eternal Sleep" that introduce you to that concept, and this is done by some excellent storytelling lyrically.

Songs like this, along with some others, really give you a great descriptive set of lyrics. Sometimes you're able to paint a picture in your head as songs unfold, even if songs are thrashing out.

There are plenty of elements delivering progressive, melodic, speed, thrash, and classic metal, along with elements of punk in its undertone.

The whole record embodies a slew of influences that really come together, helping the album have that atmosphere in a sort of dark, edgy overtone.

"Grimms Child" is an example of a song that does give a little bit more of the punk feel, but it's got that haunting as well. A lot about this record has that haunting undertone and beckons classic metal from the late 80s and early 90s at times.

Some songs hit harder than others, but this is a record you should be listening to from start to finish.

Listening to one or two tracks may give you an idea of what you can expect on the full release, but it will not give you the spectrum of what the album has to offer as a whole.

There are more than a few surprises around its corners, and you can clearly hear that the whole thing is derived from those different influences and metal subgenres.

The title track, "Journey To the Wasteland", is one of the bigger tracks on the record and probably the most cinematic or theatrical of the group.

This one is less of a thrasher and more of a slow burn, giving you a storyline, depth, layers, spacious aesthetics, and amazing guitar work that all have a way of wrapping themselves around you and letting you get engulfed in the song itself.

I love how they put this track towards the end of the record. You can tell there was a lot of thought behind a lot of how this record was put together. The arrangements, the songwriting, the tones of their instruments, even the order of the songs themselves.

The drummer on this record is intense. You can tell this is someone who not only adds drive to the songs but also gives them a certain kind of liveliness.

The vocalist has different approaches to singing, but a lot of it has this again, semi-theatrical, almost brooding but more aggressive style to it. Loads of melodies and character being pushed throughout this entire record have the vocals to thank for that.

A lot of that dark or edgier overtone is almost reminiscent of doom metal, to an extent. You can hear some of that classic doom influence in certain tracks, and there's a lot about this album that provides a heavy-handed energy and punch.

Listening to the album from start to finish gives you a great escape. It pulls you away from whatever you are doing or whatever you are and puts you in their space for a chunk of time.

It tells a detailed story and does so with an aggressive and robust approach that is sort of vivacious as much as it is edgy.

The energy level throughout this record is astounding. It almost feels like they recorded a lot of this live on the floor, and everyone involved was just feeding off of each other's energies the entire time.

I feel like this is a big part of why the record has so many great, intense moments in it.

This was definitely a huge metal record that will be incredibly satisfying for any lovers of the genre.

Take a deep dive into this one and don't be afraid to turn it up.

Facebook  Instagram  YouTube  Bandcamp