Shake Well Before
Woland

The Genoese band Shake Well Before are in my opinion by far one of the best metalcore acts around the European scene today. This is a thought that comes naturally when you see the care this band puts into each of their releases; from an EP to a music video, everything is meticulously prepared and quality, as we know, pays off. Perhaps for this reason, it is not that surprising to think that in their discography from 2008 to today — excluding the classic initial demos — there are only one EP (“Goliath”, released in 2012) and the long-awaited debut album, “Woland”, which finally sees the light thanks to the German label RedField Records. The Ligurian combo has grown considerably over the years, reaching a style that has less and less to do with the term “core” and instead sees them leaning increasingly towards Swedish school death metal. “Woland” is an intense work, which contains all the key elements that make a record valuable: sound structures rich in details, intensity, crystal-clear production, and a handful of above-average songs. In this album, it is particularly evident how hard this band has worked in the composition phase, carefully balancing breakdowns in pursuit of greater rhythmic freedom, which in turn has allowed the guitars to move freely between solos and technically well-crafted passages. However, as in any production of this genre, it is primarily the vocals that must take center stage, and on this occasion, I believe that Silvio Musso's vocal aggression could convince even the most skeptical listener, handling an “in your face” style with a task that is anything but simple on paper. In short, “Woland” is a very interesting album, capable of shouldering Shake Well Before and leading them from the status of a promise to an interesting reality in the Italian and, why not, European alternative scene. Keep going without hesitation, guys.