Wargasm releases their highly anticipated debut album – Venom – an electronic-powered fusion of rave and metal bursts of energy from musicians Milkie Way and Sam Matlock. After their acclaimed Explicit: The Mixxxtape EP – Wargasm are no strangers to the music roll-out process and are back with a punch with this chaotic yet controlled dynamic debut release.
‘Introduction’ sets the record off – birds chirp as the track merges into a burst of electronic noises – the suspense builds for the rest of the album as the track fades to a close.
With a bang – ‘Venom’ starts – the title track for the record. “We got that bloodline venom,” chants throughout the song as the dynamic London duo alternate verses flawlessly between each other. The badass vibe in this track appears as the duo sings: “He didn’t learn his lesson so I reached for a weapon.” The opening track is angry and violent – yet extremely enjoyable. This heavy electronic rock track leads to envisioning pyros and fire being set off on stage when performed live – it is a bundle of high-paced energy and rock – ‘Venom’ starts the album off on an energetic high.
‘Ride The Thunder’ appears as a stand-out for Wargasm – with the motorbike sound introduction fading flawlessly into an electronic-infused beat – the bass drum echoes as Milkie sassily chants: “Bitch get with the theme.” The presence of the high-energy electric guitar in this track drives the record into another dimension – the explosion of sound for the final twenty seconds of the song also has a similar intention.
The lead single on the record – ‘Do It So Good’ – houses influences of The Prodigy throughout. With an anarchic passion and dance rave elements – the track is mosh-pit worthy. The alt-rock duo do not hesitate with the experimentation on this track – it is wall-to-wall heavy electronic rock – what Wargasm thrives at best. “Baby we came for blood,” follows the similar badass and determination the duo portrays throughout the record.
‘Modern Love’ described by Wargasm as a: “Deranged love anthem,” is single-worthy, and that it is – the Deftones elements within the track in the form of guitar riffs add to the grit and grime of Venom.
Nu-metal legend – Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit – features on ‘Bang Ya Head’: an unpredictable yet perfect pairing. Similar chaotic yet controlled chaos resonates through the song: visualisations of mosh-pits opening instantly appear. Durst brings the song to a different life as he sings: “Keep banging your head / ‘Til you’re breaking your neck,” it is a nu-mental anthem with a hint of nineties rock nostalgia. As Milkie’s one-liner in the track: “What we gonna do Fred,” yells from the electronic vocal distortions in the song, ‘Bang Ya Head’ presents itself as an iconic track for the duo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vglI9cQUWQI
‘Feral’ immediately starts comically – the duo lists all the celebrities they can think of with names similar to feral – Will Ferrell, Colin Farrell, and Pharrell Williams. As Wargasm sings: “Let’s get lost in a crowded place,” the feeling of losing inhibitions and being feral resonates. Ending with Milkie jokingly saying: “Colin Farrell / If you’re listening my number is,” further adds to the comical nature of the song – the carefree attitude and the sarcastic energy stands out.
On first listen to ‘Sombre Goodbye’ – the final track on the debut – it seems out of place for an album full of The Prodigy-inspired rave beats combined with gritty electro-rock drive. The song starts as an instrumental – sombre indeed. Sam distortedly whispers: “I only loved you ’cause she laughed like you,” as the song appears vastly different to the rest of the debut. Yet Milkie storms in abruptly: “What the fuck are you doing! / No one gives a fuck about your sad songs! / We are Wargasm!” The track erupts into a chaotic concoction of screaming and rage as the duo harmonies: “We got that bloodline venom,” which brings the album to a cyclical close.
Venom blends controlled chaos and focused energy – the Wargasm mantra. With memorable tracks such as ‘Ride the Lighting’ and ‘Do It So Good’ which allude to the seminal electro-rave-rock of The Prodigy – as well as the nu-metal nostalgic energy of ‘Bang Ya Head’ – Wargasm encapsulates the perfect balance of an electronic-rock debut record. Rock music is changing, and Wargasm are some of the front-runners leading this development – confirmed by this release. With the support slots from Corey Taylor and Baby Metal coming up – the anarchic duo are set to become bigger and better – Venom is worth a listen and presents itself as a record laced with rage and die-hard passion for rock.
Stream Venom here:
Catch Wargasm on tour here: https://www.wargasm.online/tour-dates
