A well-produced and well-balanced Rock album, but I don't think it'll stick out in 2014.
'Meat 'N Greed' is the second album from Greek band W.A.N.T.E.D. It's a solid Hard Rock album though there is little differentiation between tracks. Jima pushes out heavy pumping guitar riffs while vocalist Dean Mess mixes growls, gruffness and conversational vocals that, while not technically bad, lack any real range and often fail to add much to the music. 'Mr Wise Guy' has a haunting circus theme (not for anyone with a fear of clowns), but the song itself lacks anything to really pull a listener in. The rhythm feels dragging instead of energising and only makes the four minutes seem even longer. 'Last Calling' really is "going nowhere" as the lyrics say and it wouldn't hurt for Mess to try a couple of different notes out in 'Misery Loves Company'.
The sound is predominantly a clash of Soft Metal and Rock, with neither the complex qualities to be Progressive or the aggression and speed to be Thrash, Black or Groove. There's a lack of signature sound or melody, making even the best tracks on this album fight to stand out or be memorable. With the electronic keys sound there's a touch of the Industrial, most noticeable from 'No Way We Stop' to the end of the album. The combination of clean keys doesn't always fit with the heavier vocals and lightly distorted guitar however.
'Matter of Fact' is one of the better tracks, with a more coherent structure with guitar weaving in and out behind the vocals. Closing track 'Shot' is a heavily produced track with rasping, muffled vocals but the slow rhythm, focused on the keys again, makes it thick and intense and very atmospheric! The creepy clowns return – I'm not sure if this theme is meant to be more prominent – but it could have been played on a lot more to the band's advantage.
The band needs more tracks like these final two to make their sound and style more their own. It's a well-produced and well-balanced Rock album but I don't think it'll stick out in 2014.
Sophie Brownlee