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Love is a battlefield, and James Lavelle’s well-documented disappointments (the collapse of his label Mo’ Wax, getting dropped from Island records as well as both his professional and relationship issues) provide ammunition for the dark, confronting weapon that is the UNKLE collective’s third album. The tone is set from the intro, “How thoughtless of you to let me down, when I thought you’d be around.” Is he referring to his label, his partner or both? Chilling solo piano trills gain aggression as crashing drums, rapid-fire guitar and electric cello assault the listener in Chemistry. But the instrumentation withdraws, leaving plucky bass, occasional drum beats and satanic incantations – all’s quiet in the trenches. But this is merely before a full-blown battering arrests your senses as the dueling instruments charge into the arrangement, providing sounds that could accompany a slasher flick.
Released through James Lavelle’s new label Surrender All, War Stories feels deeply autobiographical and leans away from electronica in search of rock. Interspersing angry purging with gut-wrenching pathos, this album’s slow gestation implies much soul-searching; “Are you happy being? Do you search for meaning?”( Hold My Hand ); “Gotta follow the light to the love” ( Restless ); “I’m falling away” ( Price You Pay ). Insert paintings and artwork specially commissioned by Massive Attack’s 3D and it suggests a world as twisted as the one presented in the video for The Kill by 30 Seconds To Mars.
If you don’t own a radio or television you could be forgiven for not having heard Burn My Shadow, the first single lifted from the album. Ian Astbury from The Cult makes a welcome return to the airwaves and his stunning baritone vocals are reminiscent of the likes of Johnny Cash. Eerie, Balinese wind chimes set an apocalyptic tone for frantic riffage with Jeordie White (aka Twiggy from Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle ) supplying the demonic bass. Piano arpeggios reflect longing from the depths of despair as the listener is chewed up by convoluted thrashing, only to be spat out exhausted as Astbury tenderly confesses “How I loved you”. This single’s arresting music video is a must-see. When Things Explode (the other Astbury-fronted track) sounds like the sequel to Burn My Shadow. A string quartet, acoustic guitar and indeterminable Bowie sample lay the foundation for Astbury’s distinctive timbre – understated but heart-wrenching. The aftermath.
Collaborations abound on this release, but the thematic thread of human suffering facilitates its cohesion. Josh Homme from Queens of The Stone Age lends his multiple talents to most tracks whether it be slaughtering the guitar, pelting the skins or providing understated sexy vox on Restless. Alice Temple (who displayed her vocal prowess on the acclaimed Blood Stain from UNKLE’s revered 1998 debut Psyence Fiction ) makes a welcome return on the horny, writhing Mistress. The chorus encourages; “A cold wind bites all around me but I’m warm on the inside/I don’t need no drug tonight”. That is until a whispered refrain taunts, “You’re as addicted as I am”.
Lavelle himself steps up to the mic for the first time, putting down lead vocals for Hold My Hand. The other half of UNKLE Richard File puts his hand up for vocal duties on Price You Pay, providing monosyllabic chords throughout each verse. The pair also tackles a duet on Morning Rage, the instrumentation of which calls to mind All My Life by the Foo Fighters. It’s a brave move, allowing your vox to stand alongside aforementioned greatness and while their efforts are adequate, it would be a miracle if their contributions didn’t suffer by comparison alongside the other guest vocalists on the album.
It may be a selfish wish, but let’s hope that Lavelle experiences perpetual bad luck if the sublime creativity of War Stories is what results from it. These 16 battle tales will burn their way into your subconscious, altering your musical expectations. Cross your fingers that those Big Day Out rumours will come to fruition and Astbury will also board the flight. And if you see someone spontaneously combusting in the nosebleed section – that’ll be yours truly. Take this as a warning: excess exposure may lead to shell-shock.
Check out the clip for UNKLE’s Burn My Shadow in ITM-TV and check out a sample of one of their recent live performances below.
