Neil Howell – The Wasteland Review

Instantly, the listener presses that play button, one is welcome to the opening piece, Welcome to the Desert, where one is welcome to an acoustic and the sound of the wind—simultaneously, the western atmosphere captures the feel of the song title -following suit with this (distortion) progressive instrumental and vocal surge.

Following suit with the second piece, The Cruellest Month, and the remaining eleven pieces.

The Wasteland takes the listener on an umbrella of rock/metal musical journey mash mosh of metal/rock that delivers and provides the listeners’ ears with a beautiful, warm, and epic piece of art… where The Wasteland aims far beyond the typical tropes of the genre and incorporates moments of metal, folk, alternative, and everything in between during its hour-long runtime.

Inspired by the T.S Eliot poem of the same name, The Wasteland explores themes of isolation, powerlessness, and sorrow, but also with an underlying feeling that somehow everything will turn out for the best.

The Wasteland provides the listener with epic, beautiful, powerful, transfixing, entertaining, full-life and energetic music and songs from the moment of pressing that play button where the listener will encounter each of the thirteen songs are different in sound, identity, mood (sorrowful, upbeat, catchy) and atmosphere—simultaneously captures and injects the distinct folk sound, seventies progressive rock, eviscerating death metal, acoustic folk and some melancholic doom metal.

Consisting of electric-guitar and drum artistry, work utilises various tones, tempos, moods, soundscapes/atmosphere, aggression/progressive, (complex/technicality) multi-chorded riffs/rhythms, virtuoso solos, different drum strikes/fills and beats, with additional instruments such as piano, acoustic, symphonic/orchestral ad violin strokes are included.

Neil’s vocal work includes multiple tones, ranges, growls/screams, choruses, and clean singing. At the same time, the twelve-track Upon the Shore features a (beautiful-backing) female voice.

One thing is for sure: Neil Howell draws the listener into his musical spectrum -a thinking out of the box music -where each song, the songwriting and music is composed and arranged with perfection – where one will find that each various composition/characteristics are convenient to place at the right moment – which is all provided and delivered by outstanding, compelling, and astonishing devilmanship.

In contrast, the production in sound quality is top-notch in quality perfection.

Once again, as soon as you press that play button, you will get lost in the music. This will not be everyone’s cup of tea or coffee, but for those who love their metal/rock music—music that mashes and moshes and has an experimental flare -this is for you.

It’s an album for the artistically minded but accessible enough for any rock or metal fan.