The Elephant In The Room
Sharp, shiny and unsheathed like Sheffield steel here come WSS, the torch bearers of self-belief, courage and determination to enlighten us all and address the grim realisation of what life has to offer. Marching proudly along a well -travelled road, trying to succeed where all others have failed with an unapologetic, unwavering and uninhibited bravado to drag us kicking and screaming from our beds.
Their equivalent of “The Starlight Barking” introduces “Anti -Social” my friends (you’re anti, you’re anti -social, Anthrax anyone? Let’s go!) and its chocs away as Sean Long, the wailing banshee, locks onto your ears and tears them right off. He and his merry band then proceed to crawl inside your skull and make themselves at home.
The press release has the portentous line “I’ve been writing like this will be my last album” and so I ask, “who’s hungry?” because we cannot let him down, we need to pick up the gauntlet he has thrown down, my friends and wave it unashamedly for everyone to see.
Likened to a motivational speech, only massively more entertaining WSS engage in a battle of wills with everything that is out to destroy us, to wear us down, to silence us.
“Sick of division, colour and religion…when we’re all the same”
It’s a message that has been bombarding our lives, but this time it has really kicked me in the guts, oh God!
They are not shy or short of a few choice words these lads, this record is not for the faint-hearted.
“even if I say what’s on my mind, it’s a waste of time “ from “I’ve Seen It All” forces us to contemplate our significance and our difference and then maybe it will all compute.
A lovely, soothing intro to “So What?” and then in jumps the band to ladle on more fuel to the fire, feels very BMTH, this one. A positively glowing chorus in “The Guilty Party” is a stark contrast to the raucous verses and with “Haunt Me” we consider whether it is always clever to speak our minds when
“all that I have said comes back to haunt me.”
The recurrent thread is “enough is enough” in “Elephant” and we bemoan “a sorry state of affairs” as efforts are made to “Set You Free.”
“We all hide something.” nuff said.
With the “Gates of Paradise” at the “Back Of My Mind” I’m knock, knock, knocking on heaven’s door, “Good Grief” my friends a truly eviscerating experience.
It’s like dancing on hot coals, it has all the doggedness of a disgruntled diamondback.
WSS, who rattled your cage, eh? I’m glad someone did.
Azra Pathan
While She Sleeps – So What? out now via Sleep Brothers