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Saturday, 26 November 2005 11:27

WARHAMMER 48k: UBER OM (Emergency Umbrella/Collective)

Bob Dylan gives the best advice. Imploring his band to “play fucking loud” at a 1966 show in Manchester, Dylan gave a kiss off to the sea of jeers echoing from an audience all hot and bothered that their folk godhead had gone electric. Much to my surprise, I found the same message upon cracking open Uber Om, the debut record from Warhammer 48K. “Play fucking loud,” seemingly scribbled in Sharpie, jumped out from atop the disc—a bit brash but nevertheless incredible advice.

So I did just that—I played it fucking loud. And, as if fulfilling some uncanny prophecy set forth by Dylan’s mythic three words, volume reigned supreme, and it was good.

Warhammer, a Columbia, Mo., four-piece, recorded Uber Om’s six songs in Olympia, Wash., with desperate-for-work Unwound bassist Vern Rumsey, who organizes the band’s cluttered barrage of sound into a cohesive record that works wonders when played through headphones. The unbridled metal sits most prominent, but it’s not without moments of well-developed calm amid the eye of the storm.

With no time for the sick and weary to duck and cover, Uber Om explodes at its opening moments with the sludgy bass and paint-peeling guitars of “Get Bodacious.” Guitarists Stephen Haslag and Tyler Creath layer their riffs with precision and aggressive distortion, clearly utilizing both channels of the stereo for an effect that is as energizing as it is maddening. Drummer Cooper Crain and bassist Patrick Kopine, both former members of fallen Columbia band the One Inch Punch, follow suit by harnessing the spotlight on “Citizen Pain,” a track that changes paths after 40 seconds, only to be fueled by the best two minutes of bass work I’ve heard all year.

“Haunted Abortion,” though it isn’t the record’s most notable moment upon first listen, sticks out as Warhammer’s crowning achievement, both in displaying the group’s sonic prowess and showing a keen ear for when restraint serves the composition best. Recorded as two distinct songs mashed together, the track opens with a phenomenal display of the band’s mastery of tension release. After an eerie break, the second section begins with the amplifier hum, muffled guitar, and slicing punches from the rhythm section. A hushed vocal intro reminiscent of the quieter moments from Slint and Nirvana breaks into a scream as Kopine’s bass barrels through and one guitar chugs along with the track’s initial riff, later transitioning into sloppy, mashed power chords, while the other lets fly a barrage of ungodly effects pedals.

On “Total Eclipse,” a perfectly placed cello flutters upward to unleash the demon snarl of metal grind without overdoing the track’s intensity and maintaining these precious moments as the “relaxed” portion of the record—a theme that continues through the beginning of the following track, “Do You Need Help Walking.” Following a meandering guitar lead, “Walking” teases with several false build-ups before slamming into a churning death metal dirge, complete with satanically bellowed vocals and howling canines.

Warhammer isn’t a ratty group of kids trying to make as much noise as it possibly can—as one might infer from the whole “play fucking loud” deal. Even with Uber Om’s moments of brutality, the juxtaposition of calmer segments draws out the record’s creativity and sets the band apart from noiseniks who just want to blow a few speakers.