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Wheel - Moving Backwards review



Reviewer:
N/A

69 users:
8.07
Band: Wheel
Album: Moving Backwards
Release date: February 2019


01. Vultures
02. Wheel
03. Tyrant
04. Up The Chain
05. Skeletons
06. Where The Pieces Lie
07. Lacking

Yeah, they sound like Tool. So did Soen and look at Soen now, defiantly having the highest rated album of 2019 on Metal Storm. So don't downplay Wheel. At least they got the idea that they should name their band with one simple word that names something vaguely useful to humans.

Finland isn't really the first place I'd look for prog metal that isn't either extreme metal- or power metal-inspired, since those two are the types at which Finland absolutely excels. But there seems to be a hub of prog metal beneath those as well, with bands like Amendfoil, Oddland and Sole Remedy, so joining these is Wheel, who, as mentioned before, really really like Tool.

Bad news is, Wheel sound like a more accessible version of Tool. The similarities are so huge that go beyond just a band being a big inspiration on another band, but rather a band trying its best to sound like and write songs like another one. But they don't really go as deep or as hard as Tool did and even if there are moments where I could swear I am listening to a Tool song, it still sounds a bit off or a bit more grunge-inspired; and as much as James Lascelles tries to channel his inner Maynard, their voices are still distinctly different.

Good news is, Wheel sound like a more accessible version of Tool. Since we haven't had a new Tool album for a few thousand days (though one may or may not be just around the corner), there have been a lot of bands that took a lot of inspiration from them, some moved away from that sound and some didn't, but it's Wheel who I found to be the only ones that almost fooled me. It's easy to try to sound like Tool, but it's not easy to actually write a song so good that could fool someone for being a Tool song. Wheel are amazing songwriters who wear their influences on their sleeves but are able to write complex and engaging music so that even the longer songs don't feel overstretched or generic or overly technical. They obviously don't hold a candle to the majority of Tool songs, but even songs half as good as the average Tool song would make this album worthwhile.

Wheel had to channel their influences to make an album that moves backwards to a time when their muse was in full force and they managed to quite do it. I expected to think "this is just inferior Tool" more than I actually did. But that said, you can clearly tell which band name has appeared most throughout my review. And it's not Wheel. They've proven themselves great musicians and songwriters, now it's about time they moved forward too.





Written on 17.03.2019 by Doesn't matter that much to me if you agree with me, as long as you checked the album out.


Comments

Comments: 11   Visited by: 136 users
17.03.2019 - 08:17
FYA
Destroyer
'At least they got the idea that they should name their band with one simple word that names something vaguely useful to humans.'

This.
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17.03.2019 - 11:23
Rating: 8
Kuroboshi

Haven't listened to it yet, but, it IS their first album, after all. That should mean that it bodes well for the future, no?
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17.03.2019 - 11:26
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Written by Kuroboshi on 17.03.2019 at 11:23

Haven't listened to it yet, but, it IS their first album, after all. That should mean that it bodes well for the future, no?

Yes, they're very good songwriters and their music sounds amazing, but they have yet to find a sound of their own. But most of the bands who initially sounded so much like Tool also eventually found that so im confident in their potential.
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Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
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18.03.2019 - 07:33
Cynic Metalhead
Paisa Vich Nasha
You mentioned Tool so many times that you gave a reason to 'smile' for Tool fans.
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18.03.2019 - 08:16
JoHn Doe

Well, I like both Tool and Soen, so I'll give this a listen as well.
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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20.03.2019 - 13:35
TheBigRossowski

Going to see them live at Prognosis. Word.
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That rug really tied the room together, did it not?
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21.03.2019 - 20:21
Rating: 10
MetalManic

All about the riffs
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21.03.2019 - 20:22
Rating: 10
MetalManic

Written by Kuroboshi on 17.03.2019 at 11:23

Haven't listened to it yet, but, it IS their first album, after all. That should mean that it bodes well for the future, no?

That, to me, is what makes this band even more promising.
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21.03.2019 - 20:23
Rating: 10
MetalManic

Written by TheBigRossowski on 20.03.2019 at 13:35

Going to see them live at Prognosis. Word.

jealous
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31.03.2019 - 01:12
Rating: 9
BloodOnTheCeilin

If this came out in 2007 I would call it a blatant ripoff. In 2019 though I've been starved of Tool's music for so long that the excessive likeness to Tool is actually a good thing. I like to think of these guys as fans that grew tired of waiting and took it upon themselves to make a Tool album.
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15.10.2019 - 05:04
Swooftguy

To say these guys are just a clone of Tool is fairly nearsighted IMO. They certainly do seem to be heavily influenced by the style of Tool - especially so in numerous percussion sections throughout their entire catalog (which includes their two previous EPs). But I'd argue that they have been equally influenced by other prog bands like The Butterfly Effect - and maybe even moreso in their overall style - including vocals, the almost punk-esque bass riffs sprinkled in, and even down to the choices for guitar effects utilized. They've got a more diverse sound than they're given credit for here and I am excited to hear how they will progress.
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