17th January 2022

Review: “What Have We Done” by Weaponry

Wrapping up their collection of previously released as standalone singles into one bundle for a strictly limited physical release and for those who want the higher quality digital versions, Reading Post-Hardcore outfit Weaponry have dropped “What Have We Done” as a prequel to their later half of 2022 releasing sophomore EP “Forever Nothing“. All the tracks on both releases were recorded with producer Daly George (Creeper, Milk Teeth, Boston Manor) and at The Ranch Production House, the difference being that these five first cuts were recorded in separate sessions over a prolonged period of years rather than over a week. That helps give these songs a continuity and avoids the disjointed feel that you can sometimes get with recordings with different equipment in different studios, all of which aids the flow of the EP as a whole…

…all tried, tested and tweaked over the course of several years and existing in several different forms from several iterations of bands that would eventually become Weaponry, this quintet of cuts has already done the rounds in the live arena with each one proving their worth. Talking to the band at various points they have mentioned how as singles these songs were recorded and released in a specific order, each one building on the previous foundations, however to their collective surprise “Something I Lack” ended up as the big single, surpassing 15k of streams between Spotify and YouTube rather than its follow up “Blindly Follow Us“. In this collection you also have the re-recording of “Moving To Andromeda” which was the first song that the band committed to tape, a self confessed rush job to put something out there that they had regretted ever since. Specialising in cynical songs with happy endings and from our perspective far more of an Alternative Metal band than a Post-Hardcore one, Weaponry are a band best served live alongside a cold beer. They’re all about the show and with frontman Al Bristow being the hyperactive, over excitable sort, he leaps around the stage and the floor in front of it, writhing around in a sweaty mess as well as getting up and down on the bands step ladder mascot and video game star flappy steppy.

Fortunately in Daly George they have someone who fully understands them and is able to get the best out of them in the studio, capturing that lightening they produce live in the bottle that is each of these recordings and pushing them to their limits in doing so. Frontman Al Bristow packs each song full of lyrical metaphors, hidden meanings and sub contexts with the lyric sheet making for an intriguing read, for example “Search For Life” being about the desire to have a baby and all the complications that surround. Then you have “Blindly Follow Us“, a clever socially aware dissection that laments the way in which so many blindly follow influencers of all varieties like Zombies to the tune of the Pied Piper of Hameln’s tune. There are Nu-Metal introspections too with “Something I Lack“, a stone cold winner thanks to its scream-a-long ability as it gets into your head and never leaves, all wrapped in the larynx threatening vocals that have vibes of Sacramento screamer Grady Avenell of Will Haven with searing intensity and a rawness than bleeds integrity. Father and son combination Max and Dan Ashworth bring the ear worm riffs to the party, a blend of early Deftones and Funeral For A Friend inspirations acting as the driving force that hammers tale home with dynamic rhythmic illuminations and clever intricacies. The backbone of the band however is the rhythm section and while they have had a trio of drummers over the duration of these recordings, each one has put their own spin on these tracks. Jay Rozentals bass grooves help things move along with pace, energy and verve, his stubborn insistence on not using a pick helping bring much more feel to his parts. Until we have “Forever Nothing” and our lives are complete, this is a mighty fine collection of songs that in the absence of seeing the band live, simply must be heard. [9/10]

Track listing