Wicked Side
We were recently contacted by Wicked Side, a heavy metal band from Bialystok in Poland, formed in May 2009 and influenced by the likes of Iron Maiden, Iced Earth and Metallica. Combining heavy riffs with melodic vocals, catchy harmonies and virtuoso solos, they were good enough to send me through a copy of their EP, Welcome To The Wicked Side to check out. Having already supported the likes of Blaze Bayley, this is a band who are clearly on the road to achieving something, so I thought I’d better see what was going on!
Opening with Something Wicked it’s immediately clear that they weren’t lying when they described themselves, launching head first into a fast paced riff underpinned by a hammering rhythm section and a rough and gravelly vocal line. Aggressive and full of energy from the off, the over arching sound here is one akin to the NWOBHM style bands, taking a sound which has been done before and somehow making it sound updated, fresh and new. Despite the hard hitting and powerful approach there’s also a real sense of melody flowing through this track showing that when it comes to making music the band understand how to form a track which is going to get the crowd involved and moving along with them. Leader Of The Blind further confirms this for me, once again opening with a galloping beat which draws you in, makes you listen and lets you know that there are bands out there still doing the old stuff and doing it well. My only complaint (although it’s not really a complaint as such) with this track is the levelling, it’s ever so slightly off at times meaning the drums sometimes get lost in the mix, which is a small point but still one that causes the beat to almost be lost at times.
As The Mirror comes into being the mood takes a sudden turn to the more chilled out approach, a soft guitar line creating a sense of darkness and foreboding as the vocals come in to complete the picture. Soft yet almost haunting and eerie, the repeated vocal line which is whispered out adds something else to this track, creating a feeling of depth and edginess. Soon picking up the pace to the more conventional sound expected of these guys, the vocals return to their more gravelly approach and craft another track which will get crowds moving and singing along with the band throughout. The Other Side Of The Mirror comes up almost as a continuation of the track before, continuing the dark and ominous approach and once again, drawing you in to listen harder. As the pace picks up fully on this track it’s once again a return to the hard hitting and aggressive tone which this band seem so at home with, a sound which they can produce and do well. To me, these sound like tracks which are going to find their full power on the live scene as quite simply, the recording doesn’t seem to do the sound justice fully.
Closing with Wicked Side we’re shown one final sign that this is a band who understand their music and are doing it simply because they love it. Powerful, funky and firmly based around a solid riff, this final track leaves us wanting more and knowing that these guys have got the potential to do well. Once again the mix is ever so slightly off on this track meaning at times, the drums simply fade out into the background, but on an EP like this it’s a small comment to make.
I like the sound that Wicked Side have gone for, and whilst I think there’s still work to do, I think they’ve got the potential to achieve something pretty special. They need to work on the mix of this record to make sure it’s fully accentuating all of the elements of the band, as presently the moments where the drums fade out cause the power to fade out as well, meaning you can’t help but lose track at a couple of moments. That said, with a little work under their belts, I look forward to seeing what comes next!
To find out more about Wicked Side, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Something Wicked it’s immediately clear that they weren’t lying when they described themselves, launching head first into a fast paced riff underpinned by a hammering rhythm section and a rough and gravelly vocal line. Aggressive and full of energy from the off, the over arching sound here is one akin to the NWOBHM style bands, taking a sound which has been done before and somehow making it sound updated, fresh and new. Despite the hard hitting and powerful approach there’s also a real sense of melody flowing through this track showing that when it comes to making music the band understand how to form a track which is going to get the crowd involved and moving along with them. Leader Of The Blind further confirms this for me, once again opening with a galloping beat which draws you in, makes you listen and lets you know that there are bands out there still doing the old stuff and doing it well. My only complaint (although it’s not really a complaint as such) with this track is the levelling, it’s ever so slightly off at times meaning the drums sometimes get lost in the mix, which is a small point but still one that causes the beat to almost be lost at times.
As The Mirror comes into being the mood takes a sudden turn to the more chilled out approach, a soft guitar line creating a sense of darkness and foreboding as the vocals come in to complete the picture. Soft yet almost haunting and eerie, the repeated vocal line which is whispered out adds something else to this track, creating a feeling of depth and edginess. Soon picking up the pace to the more conventional sound expected of these guys, the vocals return to their more gravelly approach and craft another track which will get crowds moving and singing along with the band throughout. The Other Side Of The Mirror comes up almost as a continuation of the track before, continuing the dark and ominous approach and once again, drawing you in to listen harder. As the pace picks up fully on this track it’s once again a return to the hard hitting and aggressive tone which this band seem so at home with, a sound which they can produce and do well. To me, these sound like tracks which are going to find their full power on the live scene as quite simply, the recording doesn’t seem to do the sound justice fully.
Closing with Wicked Side we’re shown one final sign that this is a band who understand their music and are doing it simply because they love it. Powerful, funky and firmly based around a solid riff, this final track leaves us wanting more and knowing that these guys have got the potential to do well. Once again the mix is ever so slightly off on this track meaning at times, the drums simply fade out into the background, but on an EP like this it’s a small comment to make.
I like the sound that Wicked Side have gone for, and whilst I think there’s still work to do, I think they’ve got the potential to achieve something pretty special. They need to work on the mix of this record to make sure it’s fully accentuating all of the elements of the band, as presently the moments where the drums fade out cause the power to fade out as well, meaning you can’t help but lose track at a couple of moments. That said, with a little work under their belts, I look forward to seeing what comes next!
To find out more about Wicked Side, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls