Wear Your Wounds/Revelator - Split

“What’s done is done. The mistakes you’ve made stand forever.”

For anyone interested in hearing just what Jacob Bannon sounds like when he’s not screaming his lungs out for legendary hardcore band Converge, this is essential listening. “Adrift in You” is Bannon’s second solo release (after 2008’s “The Blood of Thine Enemies”) and his first under the Wear Your Wounds moniker. Whereas “The Blood of Thine Enemies” was a slow, ambient/drone dirge, “Adrift in You” sounds altogether more uplifting and hopeful. There are none of Bannon’s trademark panther-vocals here as the track brings to mind post-punk legends The Cure and Killing Joke as well as the dreamlike atmosphere of My Bloody Valentine. There’s even the noisy Swans-like drums that leave Bannon’s vocals buried deep in the mix, a technique that suits the song perfectly. If “Adrift in You” is anything to go by the full-length should be worth the wait.

Ben Chisholm (of Chelsea Wolfe fame) makes up the other side of this split under the name Revelator. “Net of Gems” complements the Wear Your Wounds track perfectly as its bleaker, more sombre counterpart. There are strong ambient influences here and the song exudes a spacey atmosphere that is easy to get lost in. The drums are subtle but effective (think of the second-half of Sigur Rós’ Untitled Album) and suit the atmosphere created by the piano and electronics brilliantly. Although “Net of Gems” is built around its impressive use of minimalism and restraint, the song never feels like it’s dragging or moving along aimlessly. In fact, it builds up to a disorienting climax that doesn’t compromise any of the ethereal ambience that has gone before it.    

In conclusion, this is a highly impressive release that shows a lot of potential for both artists. Although the split is very short and it sounds as though the songs would work much better in an album context, this is well worth checking out if you’re a fan of the musicians involved or any kind of experimental rock in general.

Rating: 8/10

(Originally posted on sputnikmusic.com: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/54824/Wear-Your-Wounds-Revelator-Split/)