Hard to believe that this is now album number five for Uncle Acid. This one is right in line with past Uncle Acid releases. You’ve got this weird channeling of an evil intentioned post-summer of love burned out hippie vibe through fuzzy guitars and strangely recorded vocals. These bands that trade in this throwback sound walk a very fine line between rehash/copying and creating something new that is merely influenced heavily by the past. There are some bands in this sub-genre who sound great their first couple of albums, but seem to stagnate by album three or four (I may or may not be looking at you Kadavar). I’m not entirely sure why, but Uncle Acid keeps with a fairly formulaic sound structure and still manages to sound different and fresh with each release. They are one of the few bands in this sub-genre that has managed to avoid any missteps in their career up to this point. Wasteland continues on with this progression. Compare the way the guitars and vocals sound on Blood Lust or Mind Control to Wasteland and you’ll find them pretty much the same. But each album retains its own specific feel and vibe. I’m really not sure how they manage to pull this off, but it is an impressive feat especially in light of how many bands seem satisfied with rehashing what is essentially the same album over and over.
4 flip flops out of 5
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 