Widow Sunday

Massachusetts’ WIDOW SUNDAY is an intense band that blend powerful hooks and infectious melodies together with some good old fashioned brutality. Their aggressive concoction combines elements of hardcore, industrial, death metal and heavy metal. Their full-length debut, In These Rusted Veins, draws influences from MESHEGGAH, PANTERA, WHITE CHAPEL and DEVIL DRIVER.

The band’s name is taken from a 19th century Parisian woman named Madame Dimanche, or Widow Sunday. She had a medical abomination in which a 9.8-inch bone horn formed from her forehead. The Mütter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia have a wax casting of the Widow Sunday on display.

The band’s technical chops allow them to change tempos and styles at will, while still retaining a certain sense of melody and aggression. The fluidity of drummer Darin Moyen is pretty impressive. He has such a fat snare and a full punch in the chest bass drum sound. The aggressive barks from vocalist Jacob Falconer compliment the barrage of groove-laden riffs from guitarists Sean Duffy and Adam Cutler.

After the brooding orchestral-sampled intro “Liberate Tuteme Ex Inferis,” “Channeled” starts with a pounding PANTERA-type riff and some aggressive and powerful growls from Falconer. The sullen and melancholic piano and strings section interlude, “Tragoedia,” is a nice break between the aggression. It then gets back into full swing with “Hippie Drill.” Falconer’s death metal growl and the band’s fast pace bludgeoning will rip your face off, then it slows down into a groove breakdown before regaining speed again. Bassist Patrick Flaherty shows his skills on “Forever Sleep,” and with a piano outro, it really adds a nice variation to the song. Then, they throw you for a loop with their electronica/industrial beginning of “Blood Money.”

WIDOW SUNDAY is not a band that is stuck in one certain style. They are constantly mixing genres and styles to the point where you just can’t label them as one genre. The band’s diverse musical background leaves the listener not knowing what to expect next.

In These Rusted Veins is a pretty solid debut effort. There’s enough variation on the album to please the most ficklest of metalheads. I can almost assure you that the pit will be raging at one of their live shows. - SMN News

When I saw that this band was either a deathcore or metalcore act in the description, I took a deep breath, and against most instincts claimed the album for review. Expecting some horrible band who likes to recycle riffs that everyones heard a million times before from bands in the same genre, I began listening to the album.

The cd starts out with some weird drum intro, and the expectations still didn't run too high. All of this changed on the second track, as the band launches a full out attack on your speakers. This band is pissed and it shows through each and every track that you listen to. The vocalist does a good job at showcasing his abilities, from his high screams all the way to his gutteral assaults. The other band members do a perfect job of matching the vocalists rage in their instruments, full of snare pops, blast beats, and what I can only describe as just shredding on the guitars.

There is no doubt that this band is a metalcore act, but without reinventing the wheel they've thankfully fallen into the slim margin of metalcore bands who don't suck. With that being said however, there are some downsides to this album. There are some weird techno parts that sounds like the band just threw them in for filler. One track is a symphonic metal instrumental song, which doesnt really fit the sound of the rest of the album. My last complaint is how they recorded the bass guitar. At times, it is way too high and sounds more like slapping two pieces of wood together as hard as you can rather than an actual bass guitar.

Overall, this is a solid release. I would highly suggest it for anyone who wants to hear something refreshing from the metalcore genre, and that there might be a sliver of hope for a genre that would probably be better off non-existant - Stereo Killer

The NewReview headquarters is truly a stunning place to behold. Rising majestically above the cityscape, its glittering promenades and sky scratching towers are a monument to all that is metal. The inside is large vaulted ceilings where ugly and ominous gargoyles keep watch over our meager attempts to appease the dark gods of metal. Normally our vast laboratories and workshops are abuzz with activity. Sometimes trolls are testing the latest and most advanced headbanging techniques. Other times elves are being subjected to the most face melting solos imaginable just to see how face melting they really are. Our main office area is a raucous meld of hard work, dedication, and sheer back breaking brutality that is as busy as an anthill.

But every once in awhile one of us does something that displeases the gods of metal. The gods are a capricious and vengeful lot and punish us. Sometimes it is a mild punishment, nothing more than a slump in excellent music. But sometimes…sometimes the punishment is of a far more sadistic nature. Unbeknownst to me, I sinned. I do not know what I did to so offend the gods but they saw fit to punish me. They sent me Brokencyde. Oh God, the horror. My evening was spent with bleeding ears as the laughter of dark gods echoed through the heavens. My dreams for weeks were haunted by the utter evil I had been forced to endure. But soon the gods had mercy and sent a benevolent angel to assuage my suffering.

His voice came through my phone in a smooth southern accent telling me of this glorious new band, Widow Sunday, that the gods had sent to soothe my pain. He said it was just what the doctor ordered. This soothing angel spoke the truth. The gods of metal had finally relented and sent a gift to grace my anguished eardrums.

Their debut album, In These Rusted Veins, starts off with a noticeable lack of a bang. The first track, “Liberate Tuteme Ex Inferis”, is a throwaway and merely serves as an ambient intro to the first of many neck wrenching tracks that I was lucky enough to have bombard my ears. “Channeled”, the first real song, starts of with some chugging that instantly had my head bobbing. However, as any one who has more than a passing knowledge of the metal scene knows, mere head bobbing is not necessarily engaging music. Luckily I was soon headbanging away. I haven’t spontaneously headbanged while reviewing this much since I reviewed For Today’s latest masterpiece.

Widow Sunday has really blended a lot of different styles into this album. A listener can pick out snippets of death metal, hardcore, black metal, deathcore, and even some post-hardcore electronic elements. Darin Moyen, who handles the beats, keeps everything on pace. He knows when to follow a simple beat and give the spotlight away to the other band members and when to come crashing back in with a blasting fill or backing cymbal swipe. Patrick Flaherty keeps the listener intrigued with some fun bass grooves while Adam Cutler and Sean Duffy shred and chug away on their axes. But my favorite is Jacob Falconer’s vocals. He showcases an impressive variation in vocal styles throughout the album. Whether it is deathcore-esque growls or more hardcore shouts he really brings emotion to the music, namely anger. His voice is perfectly augmented by Cutler’s relentless chugging.

Songs like, “Swell the Seas”, “Hippie Drill” and “Channeled” had me uncontrollably headbanging and “Blood Money” had me screaming along to the group chants. “Tragoedia” provides a mellow island in the sea of rage and piss that is In These Rusted Veins with a beautiful keys part. This serenity is quickly shattered as arguably the heaviest track, “Hippie Drill” begins to assault your ear drums. Featuring gutturals that are almost pig squeals and driving rhythmic chugs this song had me ready to thrown down in the middle of class.

In These Rusted Veins is a gift from the metal gods. The only complaint I have is the intro track is merely filler. Luckily, it lasts - The New Review