One part of this blog I believe that is missing is the indie metal scene, which is quite tragic considering that in most places you go the metal scene is one of the strongest indie scenes within towns and cities. However, this leads to a problem of oversaturation. There are just too many metal and hardcore bands out on the scene and a lot of smaller ones just aren’t that good. It makes things difficult for fans of metal, who have to work hard to find something worth listening to, just filtering through the mud to find the gold.

Luckily for me, I happen to have had a great metalcore band fall on my lap. For those of you looking to have your faith restored in a bloated scene, look no further than Wind Cries Mary. Wind Cries Mary is a London local band, and boy do they have something to prove.

Coming into this year, I myself had lost hope for some new decent metal bands until I saw these boys play. I just had to check out their EP. It is 5 songs of well put together and thought out music, each song having their own atmosphere; you can actually notice the influences in each song. What I like about the band is they do not go out of their way to be the most brutal or heavy, which seems to be a trend in new bands.  There is no super heavy distortion, they aren’t using eight-string guitars, and they are not trying to be anything but what they really are. What are they really you ask? Well let’s take a look at the songs.

The intro to the EP has an extremely sinister feel to it. Listening to it on your headphones will make you feel like a super villain. Some of my favourite metal is the kind that says “Ya, this is gonna be evil”. I also really enjoy the drum they play throughout the song. It gives it sort of a tribal savage feel. The second song is also the single to the EP: “Ecstasy”. The song takes you along for the ride, shooting you full of adrenaline and throwing you into the fray, bewildered and excited. This is a lust song, very appropriate considering the title and general feeling of the whole song “You look so good, I want you naked in my mouth”. Not for the faint of heart, but a great song to party to. The next song on the EP “My Insignificant Other” doesn’t pull any punches, and hits you like a fist to the face right from the get go. As it continues it backs off a little and grooves hard for the rest of the song. This is the most hardcore of the songs on the EP, taken some influence from southern hardcore bands; it’s my favourite on “Ouija”.

We start to get into more metalcore territory with “Spill the Blood”. They really show their diversity as we reach the end of the album, as we begin to see some clean vocals and guitar solos in this song alongside their savage screaming and breakdowns. This song is the real headbanger of the EP and is short and sweet, gets in and out before you even know what happened. The final song on their EP is “For You My Friend”. This song starts off just as sinister as the intro of the EP, and keeps the listener interested with a mix of speeds, breakdowns, and a surprisingly triumphant guitar riff near the middle. I enjoy the singers more out of breath and desperate screams in this song, quite a good way to end it all.

“Ouija” is a very tight EP. Not only has it been well produced, but all of the musicians are very capable and talented. I can tell that a lot of thought and care has been put into it, which is refreshing to see from a relatively small and local band. I recommend checking out Wind Cries Mary and “Ouija” and support good local metal.