Wreckage of the Modern City

"Singularity" shows off the band's wide range of influences. "On the song 'Tigerbone,' you will hear Rush, Tool, Depeche Mode, Underworld and some Pink Floyd." On the track "Inside," Lemon's vocals have a quality similar to Michael Stipe's. His voice switches from melodic in "Greek Thing" to guttural in "Piece." Wreckage of the Modern City captures the hard rock sound of the '70s and combines it with '80s and '90s electronica.

- Joe Lawler - DM Juice
- Des Moines Juice

"Singularity" is one of the most polished albums created by a Des Moines band in recent memory, as it captures WOTMC's kaleidoscopic sound with near sonic perfection. A cross between Soundgarden, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd, it traverses a variety of genres and emotions with the greatest of ease thanks to WOTMC's complex, yet uncluttered musical interplay ("Hurt," "Systematic"), Lemon's lucid, stream of consciousness lyrics ("Inside," "Mindtrap") and [Ancell's] tasteful use of sound effects ("Piece," "Tigerbone").

- Michael Swanger - Cityview - Des Moines' Cityview

Wreckage Of The Modern City
"Singularity"
5 stars
Similar to: A Perfect Circle,
Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode

This is a record written in almost a "by musicians, for musicians" fashion. That is not to say that it is inaccessible to those unskilled in the musical arts, but it takes a certain kind of ear to fully grasp what WOTMC is accomplishing. Lead singer Lemon twists and bends his schizoid lyrics around the rest of the band’s fervent melodies, sometimes harsh and sometimes soothing. This record is a perfect example of what inspired artists can be capable of and really sets the bar for the quality of music being produced in this state. — Tony Tarbox
- artsceneiowa.com

"The hard-hitting, experimental music from this Iowa quartet is derived from their solid foundation as instrumentalists and dedication to altering and adding to their sound electronically with an array of effects and programmed sounds. If Queensryche had managed to stay relevant, this is where they might be today. WOTMC's music will resonate immediately with fans of smart heavy music from Soundgarden to A Perfect Circle. Folks with somewhat more eclectic taste will recognize similarities to niche acts like Skeleton Key and Fantomas.

In addition to traditional guitar/bass/drums setup, they trigger samples and MIDI loops and play keyboards. Vocals are warm and precise, shining through effects and accompanied by occasional harmonies. The varied elements present in their songs beg repeated listens, and the uniqueness of each track ensures this will never be an album you play in the background -- when the album becomes available, that is (it's currently in the "post production" phase).

Samples of each song are available on the band's Web site, which is worthy of praise in its own right. As it is with WOTMC's music, accessibility and style coexist harmoniously with an artful and inventive approach, drawing your attention to the methodology without eclipsing the substance. [ ]

Ezra Waller
Cincinnati's CityBeat - Cincinnati's CityBeat

Arena Show, Intimate Venue
August 8, 2005

Stoner Theater, a venue often associated with acoustic music and independent stage shows, had its first full-on rock show Saturday night. Fog machines, professional-quality lighting arrangements, video screens, screaming fans, big guys in “SECURITY” T-shirts, belly dancers, and the kaleidoscopic rock sound of Wreckage of the Modern City.

The show marked the release of the group’s new album “Singularity” and was worth every penny of the ticket price. The audience got more than just the full playlist from the album, they got a true performance.

From the opening beeps of “Bold Era” through the final notes of “Tigerbone”, the audience sat hypnotized by the sights and sounds of WOTMC’s signature fusion of guitar-driven rock and electronic tones. The spell was broken by the end of each song, giving the audience time to catch their breath, scream, applaud, then get swept away by the next song.

Even long time fans were blown away by the full power of Wreckage’s performance. They all know the music by heart, they’ve seen the shows, some are closer to the band members than to their own families. But, nothing prepared the audience for the explosive, uncontrolled wave of sound that night.

Mark Schultz’s screaming guitar solo was a show in itself. His fingers blazed across strings and frets in a frenzy of movement while his manipulation of the pedals suggested an elaborate, choreographed dance. The guitar wailed, and so did the audience.

Dustin Oliverson’s drum solo began with a soft, subtle sound akin to a heartbeat, the intimate rhythm gradually quickening pace as he found the groove. The pulse-pounding beat flowed through the audience, reaching into their primal memory and bringing them to screams as his sticks, reduced to twin blurs of motion, flew across the drumheads.

Lemon’s own solo turn reminded the audience that the voice itself is an instrument. As he knelt in the spotlight, emitting a blend of choral tones and chants, beatbox, and raw sounds, he exhibited his trademark vocal range as well as proving that words aren’t necessary to capture the sounds of the soul.

Thom Ancell, bassist/programmer, produced a video show that rivals anything you’ll see on the music channels. Rather than random eye candy, each segment appeared carefully selected, with images capturing the theme of a given song. Ranging from nuclear test footage to fifties-era commercials, riots, protests, scientific experimentation, and stellar images, the big screens chronicled the oft-troubled path of humanity from the destruction of Hiroshima to the space age.

The success of Saturday’s show indicates that Wreckage of the Modern City is ready for the big time. The combined talents of the quartet created a unique, always powerful, and at times, darkly cynical show. Perhaps most importantly, they prove that music can be intelligent and thought-provoking, and still entertain.
- LeWayne White

This Iowa-based outfit blends modern rock, nu-metal and industrial with a prog-rock coating, offering a unique and powerful soundscape which is often groove-oriented and aggressive/metal without being actually too heavy in the expected way. Anything slightly 'prog-metal' seems to always be compared to the most obvious or popular of the genre- Dream Theatre or Queensryche and the like. There's actually little of that here, instead WOTMC offer up some dark textures closer to TOOL. Fans of A PERFECT CIRCLE, GODSMACK and the like will like this disc as well as the RUSH enthusiasts and anyone who may have given the Blaze Bayley-era MAIDEN a chance.***

The lead vocalist is known as "LEMON" and has an alt-rock delivery, and the guitars are used for textures and nuances as well as the usual guitar-thing. Keyboards and sound effects are used for texture and add a strong industrial dimension- dark and angular yet not overwhelming, involved and progressive yet accessible and not hard to digest at all. The music is actually uncluttered and sparse in places yet holds enough elements for depth, and the disc is rather short- just enough good modern rock to fill you up for 40+ minutes and then leaves town.***

the tracks include: BOLD ERA: a computer-like synth pattern pulses underneath a prime slab of modern rock which opens the disc. This is the obvious album opener which serves as a calling card to those prepared to listen to the disc, and a strong track too.***

GREEK THING: Flamenco-style guitar patterns weave around a modern rock groove. The results are this odd Rush meets Faith No More sound with a brief 'rap-metal' section. Nice guitar playing too. ***

HURT: heavy grunge-laden track which would go somewhere if played on MTV. Could attract a larger following.***

INSIDE: dark and atmospheric track which brings the album back into more progressive waters.***

MINDTRAP: another heavy rock track with groovy guitars and just a light touch of keys sprinkled around for whatever reason they're sprinkled.***

PIECE: the shortest track on the album(just over 2 minutes) rocks hard with some more aggressive bite to both the guitars and the vocals.***

RESTLESS: same goes for this one in the guitar and vocal department, and there is a slight KILLING JOKE brutality in the vocals in places. Some abrasive synths finally come up from the textures to let you know they mean business as well, and yes-there is a 'traditional' guitar solo too.***

SYSTEMATIC MALFUNCTION: atmospheric track closer to a PERFECT CIRCLE sound again with probing bassline and sparse arrangement, minimalistic guitar and pained vocals.***

THANKLESS: kind of like a heavier KINO here. Nothing unusual- every record's gotta have some sort of 'least stand-out' track, though decent chorus.***

TIGERBONE: the longest track here(7+ minutes) is the most involved, and evokes RUSH in places(if you can imagine a HEMISPHERES/COUNTERPARTS hybrid). Drumming is swinging as usual but gets a little more crafty, and synths come out to play again. All of WOTMC's sounds come out all in this one track, going through some groove elements, PETER GABRIEL-esque middle section and some wicked instrumentation. Perhaps next time out, Wreckage Of The Modern City should indulge in some more longer pieces, because this one works well.***

WRECKAGE OF THE MODERN CITY are a decent band and SINGULARITY a decent album - both of which hopefully could see wider success.***
- progressiveland.com

Imagine Peter Gabriel singing with Rush performing unreleased songs by Tool produced with that special grunge flavor and we're close to the parts of the sonic universe of Iowa based band Wreckage of the modern city.
They've got it all from interesting rhythms,odd harmony changes,metal guitars and a touch of industrial rock a la Nine inch Nails.
If you're a fan of The Fire Theft,A Perfect Circle and Tenth Planet - you should definitely check out this splendid alternative progrock album,the addictive "Mindtrap" sounds like it could've been taken from Alex Lifeson's "Victor" whilst "Greek thing" will appeal to System of a down fans.
The music on "Singularity" is as unpredictable as music can get,I had to listen to it for 2 days in a row to even find a few words suitable to use in this review.
My god,it's so refreshing to hear a synth playing a circus melody between dark riffs on "Piece" or a short drum solo on the closing track "Tigerbone".
WOTMC:Suggestive music made to enjoy! - melodic.net

“As real metal comes in different forms with different properties; stainless steel, pewter and rusted iron to name a few, so does metal music. Included in the mix of the [2003] Metal Meltdown is West Des Moines, Iowa’s Wreckage of the Modern City, because we felt that they represent a movement that has been prevalent with bands such as Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and Perfect Circle; a movement that includes metal guitars, interesting rhythms and experimental sounds. It is an interesting mix, and it takes everything in a new, very powerful direction. Members of this band have diverse influences and tasks; all are very skilled musicians, who also meld technology with their talents. The songs are well-written, and very polished. Their website is also top-notch with a great player for their music which includes lyrics!" - MidwestBands.com

"[With their new single 'Thankless',] the band has succeeded in creating a very complex, yet very accessible piece of rock music that is definitely radio-friendly." - Tom Tatman, Engineer/Producer, Catamount Recording, Cedar Falls, IA

"...their intricate live show rivals the polish of most arena shows... a listening experience well worth the investment." - Jay Heydlauff, Pro Sound Ames, Ames, IA