Customer Reviews

Wither Blister Burn & Peel

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Stabbing Westard's second album, Wither Blister Burn + Peel, is one of the most adventurous and experimental albums in Industrial today. It's ten tracks of power, emotion, and intensity that manages to touch your soul in many different ways. The songs "Shame" and "What Do I Have To Do?" deal with feelings of inadequacy with the opposite sex, and are two of the most powerful songs ever recorded, thanks to the amazing guitar, synth, and above all, the brilliant voice of lead singer Christopher Hall. "Sleep", which depicts the horror of incest, is one of the most traumatic songs ever written. This album goes together very well with Stabbing Westward's newest release, Darkest Days.

It's a shame (no pun intended) that this band gets called a Nine Inch Nails wannabe or rip-off. Stabbing Westward is one of the most original and unique bands in all of Industrial, maybe in all of music. It's not that hard to spot that they're highly influenced by NIN, but it's for sure that they don't rip them off. They're also compared to bands like Filter and Gravity Kills, and that's just wrong, seeing as those two bands combined don't have near as much talent as SW. What's also a shame is that Wither Blister Burn + Peel and Darkest Days are priced so low and collecting dust in record stores. People need to open their eyes to one of the best bands the music industry has to offer.

"Wither Blister Burn & Peel," words taken from track #6 ("Falls Apart"), is a great sophomore album. I bought this CD mainly because of the two hits, "Shame" (#2) and "What Do I Have To Do?" (#3), but I quickly grew attached to the others, namely "Sleep" (#9), a slow haunting song, with a hoarse whispering chorus, about incest/rape. Most of the songs on here have a yin-yang quality, having calmer, smoother verses, then blasting out choruses with scratchy, yelling vocals. The topics are basically the same--about dysfunctional relationships/obsessions (as seen in #1: "I Don't Believe", plus just about every other track on here), isolation/depression (#4: "Why", #8: "Crushing Me", and #10: "Slipping Away")--which should appeal to more moodier listeners.

The lyrics are topnotch, and it's a good thing they're included in the booklet, because I've heard a few people get the lyrics to "Shame" mixed up, thinking Christopher Hall is saying "How can I *have sex* without you?", though he's really saying "How can I *exist* without you?"

All around: a great CD. Highly recommended if you like alt rock/industrial/techno/whatever you want to call it.

I'm going to start this off by stating that this album, along with all of SW's work, is not for everyone. I've read many mixed opinions about SW all over the net, and I believe that SW is one of those bands that you either love or hate. SW's music is very dark, and tends to focus on the negative things in life. Christopher Hall said it perfectly once: "There's two types of people. There's the kind of people that have music spoon-fed to them over the radio and through Mtv and then there's the type of people who actively seek out interesting music that means something to them. I think those people have found us."

Wither, Blister, Burn and Peel, in my opinion, is one of the best albums of all time in a lot of ways. First of all, it is VERY moving. You can feel the agony in Christopher Hall's voice as he sings about things like depression, isolation, loss and anger. One of my only complaints is that the lyrics do seem a bit amatuer in spots, but I also think that this adds a bit of realism to the music. If you read the lyrics to all of the songs on this album, you will instantly be able to tell what the song is about. Most of the time, I would say that lyrics so straight-forward are hard for people that haven't been in the same situation to relate to, but I think that just about everyone can relate to all of what Chris is saying on this album.

The other thing that I love about this album is the blend of synthesized instruments and live instruments. Most industrial music tends to have somewhat of a two-dimensional feel, since most of the tracks are all sequenced, or quantized. Take NIN for example... Although I love NIN, it doesn't move nearly as much as SW. Most industrial music wont make you bob your head unconsiously, it's just too perfect. But Stabbing Westward is one of the only bands that does a great job of blending techno-fied synthesizers with organic sounding guitars and drums and still has that "groove".

WBB&P is my favorite SW album, with Darkest Days in a close second. The last line in "Shame" is the most powerful thing I've heard in any modern music. The track "Why" is hauntingly beautiful... You can almost see the tears running down Chris' face when you listen to it. "What Do I Have to Do?" has a very catchy vocal melody, and is probably the one song on the album that anybody can relate to, no matter who you are. "So Wrong" takes a cool approach on industrial music by utilizing a tuplet-type groove instead of the straight-eighths feel that most electronic music thrives on, and also has a great heavy riff. "Sleep" has a very ambient sound to it, which sets the perfect mood for the topic of the song. The last track, "Slipping Away" does something I found very interesting. The track starts off with a garage-band type feel: no synths, no overdubs, just the band rocking out... Then the song becomes completely synth with no live instruments, and wraps up with the perfect blend of the two.

As I said, this album is not for everybody. If you like dark music, or music that is very moving and emotional, I believe you will like this CD. It is far from the testosterone-fueled nu-metal that is flooding today's radio, but I believe this album has a much more mature sound than most music on the charts today. Check this CD out. You just might find yourself having a new favorite band.

Stabbing Westward follows up their successful debut, Ungod, with this gem, Wither Blister Burn & Peel. It's a tossup whether this album or Darkest Days can be considered their best work. WBB&P has a softer feel than Darkest Days, but that is perfectly fine with me. Their radio singles "Shame" and "What Do I Have To Do?" really showcase this bands' talent. Christopher Hall pulls you in with his dark lyrics and the rest of the instruments hold you there. My favorites are "I Don't Believe", "Shame", "What Do I Have To Do?", "Why", and "Sleep". You owe it to yourself to pick up one of the best industrial rock albums ever!

P.S. If you're disappointed SW broke up you'll be happy to know that lead singer Chris Hall has started another band called The Dreaming. Check out www.thedreamingonline.com.

I have to say, this is one of the best, if not the best CD I have ever heard. The music is a powerful tapestry of drums, guitars and synthesizers. It is not only amazing that virtually every song is excellent, but that every song had a lot of thought put into it. What do I Have to do? and Shame are among the best songs ever as well as the haunting lyrics of Why, Falls Apart and Slipping Away. Sleep is a good yet depressing song about incest. The whole album is incredible. I would recommend this CD to anyone as well as their newest release Darkest Days, which although great is not as good as this. Buy it now!

This album takes you through the mind of a victim of rejection with such intensity, by the end you may want to take your own life as the narrator of "Slipping Away" does. (But remember, suicide is not the answer.) Chris Hall's vocals summon the fury and anguish of a shattered life like few before him, and the dark lyrics capture the pain of someone scorned to perfection. Plus, the music flat-out rocks. As someone who is currently experiencing the hell of unrequited love, I recommend "Wither, Blister, Burn and Peel" as a therapeutic valve of release. I see myself and my experiences in many of the songs, and if you've been down the road of heartbreak, chances are you will, too.

I would have to agree with some of the other reviews, this CD is one of the best albums I have ever heard in my entire life. The lyrics are powerful and the music creates the perfect atmosphere for the meanings of the songs, and also, it is one of the most unique sounds out there, with many many interpretations, whether it be dark, deep, emotional and/or mysterious. Overall, an incredible CD made by an incredible band. It truly is a shame that they are no longer recording.

Released in 1996, Stabbing Westward's second album: Wither, Blister, Burn, and Peel was a step forward in the right direction after 1994's well done and experimental album UnGod. This album is when Stabbing Westward truly came into their own as the bands slightly overindulgent mood of UnGod is transformed into a more cohesive and whole experience in this well thought out album. Christopher Hall's amazing lyrics and vocals combined with Walter Flakus' Keyboard's and programming effects give this album a more direct approach than their previous album, as the songs are shorter and to the point, driving home the meaning of each song with a sound that must obviously pay due respect to Nine Inch Nails, and other bands in this genre. The radio hits on this album; namely Shame, and What Do I Have to Do?, helped to bring SW into the forefront and into the commercial mainstream, showing that the band was capable of creating radio hits, while still maintaining a straightforward and cohesive feel to the entire album. Jim Seller's Bass and Andy Kubiszewski's programming and drums cannot be overlooked however as this album shifts back and forth with slowly disenchanting and roundabout sounds and effects that combine well with the slower and harder edged songs, helping to set the pace for what in my opinion is Stabbing Westward's best album: Darkest Day's. Hall's vocal's work in way with the music much like Maynard's work in Tool or in A Perfect Circle has a way of drawing you into the music and flowing dynamically from the speakers, working its way through the high's and lows of the music and creating a perfect balance and an equally impressive experience, although in all actuality I don't think Stabbing Westward can hold a candle to any of Tool's work as truly, there are few artist's and Band's that are as unique and important as Tool and Maynard truly are. Not to kick SW though, but back to this album, which truly has a way of grabbing your emotions, bringing you through Hall's doldrum's of past relationships, as the lyrics truly hold your interest in song's like Inside You, and Why? Sleep, one of the most well done track's, which deviates away from Stabbing Westward's songs of loss, seems to be about a girl whose father rapes her and she is unable to do anything about it; we are taken through this song in such a way that you can feel the tension this girl must feel as she waits for her father to come into her room, and abuse her, as she hides away in her mind hoping that one day the pain will eventually end. This song truly deviates away from what you'd normally expect from this band from their previous album, and truly allows the band to step into their own, creating a tension that would be completely soldified and experimented with on their next album: Darkest Days. An excellent audio experience in the dynamics of sound, and excellent writing and vocal talents, make this an album that is not to be missed. Pick it up I truly believe you'll enjoy it.

Anyway.. I just got this CD today and I wanted to comment on it.

To me this sounds nothing like NiN. NiN is far more brutal. And brutal is not always better. Sometimes you can convey emotion a lot better by being subtle and melodic. Don't get me wrong I love NiN but this just grips me more.

I've seen many labels put on this band. Personally I feel it's a hybrid of Industrial and alternative, but that's just me. And no this is NOT METAL! Most metal sucks anyways(apart from some black metal and gothic metal bands).

On to the lyrical content: Very depressing stuff.. Especially the song Sleep, which is about incest. The other songs generally revolve about love gone bad. I've read that most of these songs were inspired by the lead-singer's ex-girlfriend(who was abused by her father) What I repect is the fact that a lot of bands today actually have the guts to handle such lyrical content.

To the ignorant parents out there and censorship people: This is REAL music. You can't deny kids(and adults) this music. Because it is real. These things happen. And it's good that people get confronted with that. This isn't bad for their mental health. Denying them such thoughts is bad cause they won't be able to handle the reality of life. Cause like I said these things HAPPEN. Okay that's my rant for the day.

To conclude this review: A very intense CD. Personally I think Darkest Days is a tad better since it has a darker and more desolate feel to it, but don't let that stop you from getting this CD too. (and Ungod :) ) All of Stabbing Westward's CDs are little black diamonds of despair that keep my eyes open to the reality of life. Can't wait for the 4th Album to come out.

-Richard

WBB+P was the first Stabbing Westward album that I bought. It's a great album for sure; a bit industrial, a bit metal, and maybe even a little bit grunge. A lot of the songs are about bad relationships or depression, so it's a dark CD lyrically. Here's some highlights:

"I Don't Believe" opens with Chris Hall cursing at himself over a bad relationship. It's a strong intro, and a powerful song, one of the heavier ones on here. "Shame" was a hit single, and is an excellent song as well. "What Do I Have To Do?" is another great relationship song with great lyrics, many people should be able to relate to this one. "Why" is a bit of a different turn, much slower, softer, darker, and much more depressing. Actually, it's probably one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard, but it's excellent. "Inside You" is industrially-driven until the end, decent but nothing special. "Falls Apart" has a heavy riff and a lot of anger, a pretty good song. "So Wrong" is about the same as "Falls Apart" but sounds different. "Crushing Me" is much slower, and in my opinion is one of the weaker songs on here. "Sleep" is pretty cool, a haunting song with creepy lyrics (child molestation). I think it's the only song not about ex-girlfriends or depression though, which should be noted. "Slipping Away" is a long closer, which starts off grunge-like, then goes industrial for most of the song. It's a good song too.

In conclusion, this album is quite good (I prefer Darkest Days) but this is definitely worth checking out for fans of SW or darker hard rock music. Best songs: Shame, What Do I Have To Do?, Why, Falls Apart, Sleep. Overall, it gets a very strong 9 out of 10.