Photo by Samantha Marble
US black metal unit WOE begins their European live takeover with Germany-based black metal unit Ultha Thursday April 13th. The trek includes an appearance at Roadburn on April 22nd with future onstage assaults both stateside and abroad in the plotting stages.
WOE will be touring in support of their critically-lauded Hope Attrition full-length issued last month via Vendetta Records. A dark, mournful work that draws from WOE‘s darkest black metal influences while extracting dormant death metal undertones, Hope Attrition was produced by Stephen DeAcutis (Evoken, Dim Mak) and serves as a personal commentary on the chaos of the modern world that only WOE can offer.
Hope Attrition is out now on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats. Physical editions come swathed in the artwork of artist Justin Miller who’s handled artwork for all past WOE releases. Stream/order Hope Attrition at the official WOE Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION. In Europe, visit the Vendetta Records Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION.
In related news, WOE recently celebrated the ten-year anniversary of the Absinthe Invocation demo, written in a single, drunken night on April 4th, 2007. “The ten years since have been surprising, to say the least,” comments band founder Chris Grigg… To all who have listened and supported, we thank you. The demo is free on Bandcamp. It is sloppy and raw but hints at what would come.” Check out Absinthe Invocation at THIS LOCATION.
WOE w/ Ultha:
4/13/2017 Het Bos – Antwerpen, BE
4/14/2017 Hamburg Is Droneburg Festival @ Hafenklang – Hamburg, DE [info]
4/15/2017 Vendetta Fest @ Tiefgrund – Berlin, DE [info]
4/16/2017 Conspiracy Of The Damned Festival @ Baroeg – Rotterdam, NL [info]
4/17/2017 Nexus – Braunschweig, DE [info]
4/18/2017 Club Famu – Prag, CZ [info]
4/19/2017 Escape – Vienna, AU [info]
4/20/2017 Doom Over Leipzig Festival @ UT Connewitz – Leipzig, DE [info]
4/21/2017 Dudefest Festival @ Jubez – Karlsruhe, DE [info]
4/22/2017 Roadburn Festival @ O13 – Tilburg, NL [info]
WOE was formed in 2007 as a black metal solo project of multi-instrumentalist Chris Grigg. After catching the underground’s attention with a strong demo of ugly, raw black metal, the first full-length, A Spell For The Death Of Man, was unleashed in 2008. The album presented the first glimpse of modern WOE: faithful to the traditions established by the black metal classics but a willingness to inject a very American perspective by way of punk and hardcore influences. It found critical acclaim both in the underground and beyond.
Demand for live performances encouraged the assembly of a full band, which was put together with veterans of the Philadelpahia scene. After two years of live work, they signed a contract with longrunning metal label Candlelight Records and released Quietly, Undramatically in 2010. The first recording to feature a full band, the album continued the direction established by A Spell For The Death Of Man but pushed further outwards, showing WOE‘s willingness to experiment with an expansive “post-black metal” sound while not completely ignoring their roots. The risks paid off, as the album received an enormous response and propelled the band to new levels of recognition. Performances at Scion Rock Fest in California and a brief tour opening for the infamous Mayhem followed.
After three years and a relocation from Philadelphia to Brooklyn, the band released Withdrawal on Candlelight in 2013 to more rave reviews. Their strongest, most abrasive material to date, it drew from the dynamics of Quietly, Undramatically while descending back towards the controlled chaos that were central to the WOE‘s ideals. The band toured heavily in support but were ultimately forced to put the project to focus on responsibilities outside of music.
“…Hope Attrition ups the ante for anything that comes after it.” – Decibel
“The passion, filth, and pure vitriol that USBM demands is all there, and especially given the state of our world in this moment, Hope Attrition is a required listen.” – Metal Bandcamp
“While past WOE records have dealt with Satan, religion, and, later, depression and emotional turmoil, Hope Attrition trains a laser focus on human evil… Explicitly anti-fascist black metal is not new, but as the divisions rending the rest of American society continue to grow, the equally fractured metal community needs bands like this to rally behind. Black metal fans are lucky to have WOE in our corner.” – Noisey
“They sound sharp and clear on this record, and not at the expense of aggression. If anything, what makes WOE stand out amongst their peers is just how aggressive they are. They’re accessible but not pretty. This is knuckle-whitening, teeth-clenching stuff.” – BrooklynVegan
“Take everything about USBM and some of the UK Candlelight bands (WOE‘s old label) of the past couple years, throw them in a blender, sprinkle in some of that unique East Coast US isolation, and you get the mass of anguish that is WOE‘s Hope Attrition.” – New Noise
“…a firestorm of an album… WOE‘s mission never has wavered and always has been here to shake, prod, and provoke, and as this new record proves, there are very few who could hold a candle to their rage. – Meat Mead Metal
“This is music that is deeply rooted in darkness that still somehow manages to be transcendent and uplifting. If you liked the incredible promise presented by A Spell For The Death Of Man, this album exceeds it in every way.” – The Sludgelord
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http://www.woeunholy.com
http://www.woeunholy.bandcamp.com
http://www.vendettarecords.bigcartel.com
http://www.vendetta-records.bandcamp.com
http://www.vendettarecords.de