Album Review :
Wrench In The Works - Lost Art Of Heaping Coal

Band: Wrench In The Works
Title: Lost Art Of Heaping Coal
Label: Facedown
Release Date: 08/19/08
Review By: JoshIVM

Tracklisting:
01. Dust Over Time Test
02. Tonight Is War
03. Our Time
04. Brokenness
05. One Foot Out Of Hell
06. Pale Fire
07. Death Letter
08. Loaded Gun
09. Faith As A Virus
10. Lost Art Of Heaping Coal

I first brought this band to your attention back in March ’06 and then reviewed their last album “Prodigal Transmission” in August ’06. The album got a fair rating but definitely had plenty of room for improvements. After being fairly quiet for a few years I saw that Facedown picked them up. I knew they would get some good production and they had potential to do some good touring with this release. But the real question is how would the new material sound?

The band has been compared to bands like Converge and Zao and I think those are somewhat accurate but I dont believe they really give you a good idea of the band’s overall sound. To me, this band sounds like it came out of the spirit-filled hardcore days and has just been modernized. “Dust Over Time Test” jumps right into blistering hardcore before going more melodic about a minute into the track. Even the breakdown that appears in this song is different than modern hardcore. The ending of the song is very Zao-esque with it’s powerful, drawn out guitar parts. “Brokenness” starts off with some spastic riffing, which is more amazing when you remind yourself that this is only a 3 piece. This is one of the songs where the guitar work did remind me of those older bands. “One Foot Out Of Hell” surprises everyone by going very light musically and sees the band singing “More love, more power” in the middle of the track. “Lost Art Of Heaping Coal” is a welcomed change from the rest of metalcore these days. My only real complaint is that I think the album will drag on for many people. I would like to see more melodic parts and more guitar riffing, but the more you listen to this album the more enjoyable it becomes.

Overall: A formidable release to add to Facedown’s growing collection. This band is a breath of fresh air in the scene and one that I hope really does well! You should do yourself a favor and check this album out!

Standout Tracks: “Brokenness”, “One Foot Out Of Hell”, “Pale Fire”

Links:
Myspace
Facedown

Buy: Facedown Store