Wildlights are the hard rocking duo comprised of ASG's Jason Shi (vocals, guitar) and Thunderlip's Johnny Collins (drums), and here we have their self-titled debut for Season of Mist, which is packed with 12 upbeat, heavy rock tunes that should have a lot of appeal to a wide variety of music fans. Hailing from North Carolina, these guys take their Southern sludge/stoner roots and combine them with a retro '70s vibe as well as some Southern California skate/desert rock for a sound that is pretty accessible. Produced by Matt Hyde (who has worked with Monster Magnet, Fu Manchu, Slayer, and Porno for Pyros), Wildlights has a somewhat glossy sheen but with enough garage-y elements, making for a fun listen. "Part of the Sea" and "Anchors" feature dirty, fuzz driven riffage over pummeling drum work, while the memorable & melodic "Snow Song" offers a softer side to the band, but no less appealing. Thick, distorted riffs permeate the otherwise catchy "Hellfire Forever". Both "Lights Out" and "Pictures" dive into '70s heavy rock styled arrangements, with Shi's effective riffs and high pitched vocals leading the charge, and the singer/guitarist croons over more textured patterns on the emotional "New Year Repeat". There lies my one gripe with this album; though Shi's vocals are perfectly fine for the most part, his high pitched delivery doesn't deviate much, and at times his syrupy sweet style (which sounds like a young Sting from the Police) just doesn't match the aggressiveness of some of these songs. Mixing it up a bit would go a long way, and though he tries on the hard hitting "Climb in the Throne", some extra edge to his voice could have easily taken this album to another level.
Despite that, Wildlights is a really good album, filled with some catchy, occasionally pretty heavy riffs, memorable melodies, and acrobatic drum work. This band are definitely onto something, so it will be interesting to follow them from here and see how they progress going forward.
Track Listing
1. Anchors
2. Rebel Smiles
3. Part of the Sea
4. Snow Song
5. Hellfire Forever
6. Pictures
7. Onward Upward
8. Lights Out
9. New Year Repeat
10. Climb in the Throne
11. Lions
12. Big Frontier
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