Here's a collection of great reviews of the new Waxen album, “Die Macht Von Hassen”. Enjoy,
Toby Knapp
METAL TEMPLE REVIEW:
Toby Knapp has been making music since he was 19, when he was signed to Shrapnel Records, a label then for throwing a modest amount of bucks at artists who were not known for their technical restraint. “Die Macht von Hassen” is WAXEN’s sixth full length album, a black metal foray into the darker side of human existence: the futility of religion as panacea, and humanity as a whole. Like many in the orbit of heavy metal’s massive gravitational pull, “Die Macht von Hassen” is a labor of (tainted) love. Knapp’s day job is guitar-teacher. WAXEN is clearly a way to defuse the creative energy that’s bottled up as he’s teaching kids how to play “Ode to Joy” for the umpteenth time. But Knapp is putting his money where his guitar playing fingers are, and that’s in the studio. And it seems to be paying off. It’s a confident album that pays homage to the purveyors of black metal, as well as the bands that have taken it to creative heights heretofore unknown.
Opening song “Die Macht Von Hassen” starts with a blast of black metal wind soaring out of the speakers. At 1:30, it descends into ambient, tremolo-picked chords of anguish over a reverb-drenched, dusty mid-tempo beat. There are no vocals yet. Throughout the album, Knapp uses his nasally, DARKTHRONE-esque vocals sparingly, letting the listener focus on the music for the most part. The song has a cool, atmospheric outro similar to what you’d hear on an ENSLAVED or OPETH album. Second song “God of All Endings” swirls in the glory of blackened DARKTHRONE punk rock. The song heaves and blasts, the energy of a pit circle inhabited by dozens of long-haired lost souls. The rhythm guitar, which gets buried in the mix, does most of the heavy lifting in this song, intricately picked and arranged structures that supply the foundation for Knapp’s sonic explorations. The last half-minute of the song is our first introduction to what he can do on the guitar, a quick burst of YNGWIE MALSTEEM histrionics. And, yes, that Yngwie Malsteem.
As I was listening to the album, I took notes like I usually do. As I struggle to put into narrative what third song “Those Reviled” does, I feel like I’m just going to take the easy way out and post my notes as they are: “Trad black metal/blasts off at 1:00 mark, guitar insanity/sweeps Malsteem like at 2:15. A LOT packed into this song in 5:00 minutes/ great melodic work at the end. Fantastic song. Dirty ass darkthrone drums. The Malsteem leads into the black metal shit is outrageous. You get a good, tight producer/engineer with these, HOLY SHIT. Top notch riff-writing on this one. Vocals are black-metally weak even by black metal standards. They don’t do anything for me. I’d would have said fuck it and went to town effects wise. Turn this shit into the BUTTHOLE SURFERS, then drop down into that sick as shit classic 80s metal riff under the solo. And that little melodic lick at the end? FUCK YEAH.” I mean, I’m not going to make that any better by editing the shit out of it am I? It’s black metal, mother fuckers! Take those sentence fragments in yer pipe and smoke ‘em! Maybe burn down a church with the embers while you're at it.
“Your Kingdom Will Bleed” is this great partnership of dissonant black metal riffing and some triumphantly positive feeling chord progressions. In other words, Knapp creates something that is simultaneously depressive and celebratory at the same time. This may be because Knapp isn’t afraid to go from the malaise of black metal to the fist-pumping, crotch-grabbing stomp of power metal in the span of a song. Like the previous song, “Your Kingdom Will Bleed” crams a lot of ideas into the eight minutes it almost reaches. The outro on the song sounds like “Isa”-era ENSLAVED, some dissonant open-note chords that give the song an expressive, full sound. Final song “Holocaust Light” continues with this dissonance coupled with more celebratory, triumphant black metal riffing. It’s the undisputed hit single of the album before it jumps the melodic rails into this flesh-lined pit of self-flagellation. It’s like someone leaned over to Beelzebub and whispered, conspiratorially, I mean, keep the black metal shit, but let’s write something they can dance to!
After consistently producing six albums over the past ten years, WAXEN deserves a bit more recognition than they’re getting. Based on these seven songs, it’s clearly long overdue. One can only think with the right production team and some confident marketing, that these songs could be up there with ENSLAVED, KATATONIA and OPETH in terms of flexing those creative black metal muscles. Like those bands, Knapp has found a unique approach to the genre, while respecting the foundation it was built upon. The solos are unique and thrilling, majestic and inspiring, and add a layer of complexity to the songs that’s hard not to get swept up into. “Die Macht Von Hassen” is a compact beast of a record; Knapp’s solos are the sharpened teeth. Prepare to get mauled!
9/10 score from Metalhead Italy. Check it out!
Waxen "Die Macht Von Hassen" 2023 Moribund Records
"I had never heard of Waxen, a black metal project behind which Toby Knapp is hidden, a virtuoso guitarist with a neoclassical style.I admit that I approached this record with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism, since I could not imagine two more distant worlds such as that of neoclassical metal and the most ferocious black, the first so technically intricate and the second so nihilistic. A bizarre mix, where the line between genius and ridicule is dangerously blurred; if we then add that the biographical notes contain high-sounding definitions such as 'legend' or 'genius' I expected a self-referential and tacky work. Instead, I was surprised, because "Die Macht Von Hassen" is a really well packaged album, where technique and brutality, ferocity and melody coexist perfectly, thanks to an extremely intelligent riffing that allows the songs to vent all the black fury and then dissolve in more cadenced and thrash parts, which prove to be solid foundations on which Knapp can indulge in solo virtuosity of absolutely fine workmanship, never an end in itself and always well embedded in the pieces. Also noteworthy is the programming of the drum machine, never too static and with a very realistic sound, while the vocal test is beastly at the right point. A unique album of its kind, where Knapp manages with class and personality to combine two styles that are only apparently polar opposites.
(Matthew Piotto) Score: 9/10"
AVE NOCTUM REVIEW:
Toby Knapp could never be accused of lying idle. The American guitar maestro spreads his time across solo projects, Affliktor and his thrashy black metal project, Waxen just to mention a few. “Die Macht Von Hassen” is the sixth release under the Waxen name and it is a showpiece for what black metal was and should be. The title comes from the German meaning “the power of hate” and gives a hint at what to expect. The man’s love for the genre and classic metal with scintillating guitar work is always something to look forward to. Onward to the blackened depths then…
Opening with the title track and a tribal beat, the explosive carnage is immediate. There’s a sense of epic proportion as a melodic pace emerges reminiscent of Primordial. The vocals, as always are throat shedding with a sense of evil that is almost indescribable and brings to mind Bathory. A Judas Priest “Painkiller” on steroids riff shows up on “God Of All Endings” with a guitar break that could be one the best I’ve heard from this wonderful musician. Unexpected twists and turns galore keep the listener intrigued and challenge the senses.
“Your Kingdom Will Bleed” is a vicious aural attack that brings in moments of elegant neo-classical flourishes. These are things we expect from Waxen but they never cease to amaze. What becomes obvious is that despite Knapp’s talent and ability for fretboard pyrotechnics, it’s always the total song that comes first. Many artists will simply use the song as a background platform for showboating but everything has a place and a purpose here. The overarching sense of darkness pervades this track as it melts into a “Reign In Blood” era Slayer maelstrom. The macabre tones found in the closing track “Holocaust Light” are equally compelling and disturbing. The latter section invokes militaristic beats and lighting fast displays of six-string wizardry.
This is another powerful display of the Waxen sound. The five tracks span around 30 minutes; each concise and brutal yet displaying the tasteful nature of Toby Knapp’s talent. “Die Macht Von Hassen” is another testament to the imaginative power of this unique musician.
(8/10 Johnny Zed)
REBEL EXTRAVAGANZA REVIEW:
Toby Knapp, within black/thrash and, for a time power metal, rivals Rogga Johansson and Chris Riefert in sheer output and projects, side and otherwise. We’ve all heard the whole “signed with Shrapnel at 19” story, which is admirable, indeed. It’s 2023, though, so we’re only judging Mr. Knap related to WAXEN, and thus…
Robust from the start, ‘Die Macht Von Hassen’ sets the stage, all instruments mixed so as to give a sturdy sonic foundation to the blackened firestorm set to light before us. A semi-martial cadence on the drums soon slows to a near-doom crawl, yet loses none of its fervor in doing so, contorting to tremolo-heavy riffing bolstered by a groove (yes, a groove) with the depth of trenches.
Beguiling, ‘God Of All Endings’ moves deftly from a soft guitar piece to Scandinavian thrashed-out grimness ala NIFILHEIM, Knapp’s fretboard wizardry seeming horizonless, replete with classic NWOBHM touches, but more inherently evil. DISSECTION flourishes are scattered hither and yon, and there’s not much blatantly American in this one’s execution, but its crowning glory is that the tune sounds in no way cluttered, despite the multi-layered guitar tracks.
After an almost jaunty (2:02-2:13) section, – which seems almost tossed in just because, and interrupts the flow – the otherwise-impressive mid-paced ‘Those Reviled redeems itself, galloping, and spiked with blackness partway through (4:01-4:38), which is followed by ‘Your Kingdom Will Bleed’. This is the first time in WAXEN’s sixth where the mind wanders. Maybe there’s simply too much in the stew at once, as blistering cold, thrusts of progression and the ever-present shredding brawl for a spot, none giving nor gaining a foothold until a mournful, almost epic-tinged doom section, which is itself too soon brushed to the side.
By the time ‘Holocaust Light’ closes out this album at a goat’s hair over a half-hour, we’re taken aback by the production overall, which is uncommonly crisp and clear, especially considering the style involved. Think CARPATHIAN FOREST at times, yet much more (of course) precise in delivery, which fades at around the 4 ½ minute mark, only to return militant and marching amid channel-switching guitars, a Heaven – or desired Hell – for the headphone listener.
Overall, WAXEN has delivered yet another solid volley from its well-stocked armory in Die Macht Von Hassen.
Review By: Lord Randall
WAXEN
Die Macht Von Hassen
Moribund Records
Great review from 'Sister Mary's Metal Reviews". Enjoy.
"Waxen – Die Macht Von Hassen
Well here we are, 20 albums in and nary a bad word about any of them bar a couple of minor niggles and constructive criticisms.
And what’s this? Black thrash shred? What the fuck is this going to be like?
Now you’ve probable gleaned from my previous reviews that I’m a bit of a guitar nerd, so when this shit kicked off with some quite astonishing lead guitar, you know I was going to be hooked. I got the impression that this was going to be a blackened thrash instrumental album, as if Chris Impelliteri had had some sort of mentally disturbed epiphany and decided to follow the left hand path, but within some incredible lead work is some deliciously filthy black metal vocals that interplay with the nutso bananas riffs and the ridiculous shredding perfectly. This is some next level shit and I love it.
Black metal for guitar aficionados"- Sister Mary's Metal Reviews
"Overall, "Die Macht Von Hassen" is an impressive album that demonstrates the versatility and virtuosity of Toby Knapp as a guitarist and songwriter. With a mixture of aggressive Thrash Metal, melodic solos and Black Metal influenceswaxinga unique soundscape that makes the heart of every metal fan beat faster. The songs are well structured and demonstrate Knapp's ability to combine strong hooks with technical sophistication. Each track has its own identity and contributes to the whole of the album.
Of particular note is Toby Knapp's impressive guitar work. His skill as a virtuoso is undeniable and his solos are a highlight of the album. From fast, wild shred passages to soulful melodic phrases, he masters a wide range of playing techniques. However, he manages to put his virtuosity at the service of the songs and not just to succumb to an end in itself.
The production of "The Power of Hassen" is also notable. Each instrument sound is clear and powerful, bringing out the musical nuances well. The drums pack an aggressive punch while the guitars have a rich and incisive tone. The vocals fit perfectly with the atmosphere of the songs and give them an extra intensity.
Overall, "Die Macht Von Hassen" is a standout album for fans of sophisticated, technical metal.waxingand Toby Knapp once again demonstrate their creative class and ability to push the boundaries of the genre. This album is a must for anyone looking for intense music that is both technical and passionate" - AMPLIFIED MAGAZINE GERMANY
The eponymous title of the album, the first track is a condensed version of everything found in Black Metal, a tad old school: a fast tempo ensured by an incessant hammering of the snare drum, fairly simple riffs repeated at will. , a sometimes disconcerting not to say surprising musical construction, all sprinkled with a mocking and shrill voice whose melody (yes yes) is sometimes accompanied by a guitar that gives in the treble, giving the whole an unhealthy atmosphere, even disturbing!
"God of All Endings" continues in this register with a faster rhythm triggered from ten seconds of clear guitar sound. There again, the voice that seems more in the background is no less challenging, that of a skinned man vomiting in your face all the hatred that is his, with a spite that in no way gives you any want to answer.
Those Reviled" offers a most unstructured musical construction with a large instrumental part during half of the piece and especially punctuated by several rather clear solos and sounding Metal rather than Black , thus revealing multiple influences that we also find in " Your Kingdom Will Bleed”, including some thrashing riffs at the end of the track! For the rest, nothing new compared to the previous songs, attempt to permanently monopolize your soul through a Black which leaves neither time to breathe, nor to see the deluge of riffs and intertwined voices that try to torment your mind to better possess it! Note that the bass seems absent from the compositions or very (too) distant for us to perceive its full scope… Perhaps this is due to the desired style, or to a production with limited means!
In the end, an album whose compositions are rather rich, if we say to ourselves that they germinated in the head of a single man, both for their creation and their interpretation, with sometimes surprising varied changes of tempo, and everything that makes old school Black fully permeate each title of this sixth opus, which deserves to be given an ear!" - Soil Chronicles