WHITE WARD – False Light

I did not choose this glittering life

We have all witnessed together that WHITE WARD, one of the many good bands that Ukraine has produced, has been making a name for itself in recent years. During their journey to find their own sound, they have caught some from the very beginning, pulled some to a point where they didn’t know exactly what to think, and hit some right where it’s at with their latest album “False Light” that I am currently writing about.

“False Light” is truly an album that hits right where it’s at. Bringing together the violence of black metal and the grief that it can reflect more strongly than any other genre when the time comes, with today’s realities and some realities that have left their mark on the last 10-15 years, WHITE WARD has created an album that touches hearts and is etched in minds with well-implemented formulas. If I put aside the annoyance of having to speak in the past tense due to a 6-month delay, what WHITE WARD has done in “False Light” is truly a work that should not be ignored and should be considered one of the most successful works of 2022.

What WHITE WARD does here is actually nothing new or unusual. The formulas, characteristics, and even clichés of post-black metal that we have been accustomed to for a long time are displayed one by one in “False Light”. While listening to the album, we do not hear any untried things, or ideas that surprise us. However, WHITE WARD does one thing very well, and that is to make “False Light” rise without much effort.

WHITE WARD knows very well how to use black, white and the grey tones that connect these two. The sharpness in their songs is very clear and they are very skillful in using them to create contrast with each other. They use the violent side of black metal, the fragility of post-events and the connecting elements between the two with a very successful balance and the result is an album that flows from the moment you start it.

The violent side of black metal, of course, comes across emotionally. The band does not have a black metal identity that turns into savagery and frightening, and they use the sharpness of black metal to stir up emotions and to pour out the grief and anger inside them. When we move to the other side of the water, they present dark but fragile, delicate touches created with the most delicate keyboard tones you will ever hear.

The saxophone, which has been the number one instrument since 2010, is the connector between these two. The “sophistication” that the saxophone adds to music has been enthusiastically welcomed by metal bands hungry for innovation for the last 10 years or so, and whenever we hear something avant-garde or experimental, we either expect it to have a saxophone in it or we don’t find it strange when we hear it.

WHITE WARD uses the saxophone to connect these two contradictory extremes that I mentioned above, because this instrument can create a calm, serene and sophisticated identity when the time comes, and can turn into the sound of madness and insanity when the time comes. The Ukrainian band makes great use of these dynamics and with their memorable composing skills and creativity that make everything meaningful, they have made “False Light” perhaps their best album to date.

2022 is behind us, June 2022 is in the past. I was going through a busy period at the time and somehow I missed this album. Since then, I have been going through one of the most active years of my life and I have never come across it or had the chance to review it. There is nothing to be done, I did not choose this glittering life. But as always, better late than never. But if we can make even one child hungry for experimental post-black metal love WHITE WARD today, this would be the best gift for us. So if you haven’t listened to the album yet, do your part and listen to “False Light”.

#FalseLight