FLAMING WREKAGE
‘TERRA INFERNA’
Album Review

(3rd May 2024)

Review by Bri Steele

Flaming Wrekage is a band that has taken the Australian metal scene by storm these past few years. Formed in 2009 and based out of Sydney, the band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Lupton, Justin Humphry on lead guitars, drummer Matt Thornton, and Lachlan Campbell on bass. Over the course of ten years, the quartet has released three albums filled with chaotic, experimental, and headbanger-worthy tracks. With influences ranging from bands like In Flames and Gojira, Flaming Wrekage offers a sound they have manifested through their devoted passion for the craft.

The band has found themselves touring through Europe, Indonesia, and Australia, offering a variety of audiences the chance to see their unmatched stage presence and wrath. Their reputation has also given them opportunities to perform on stage with artists like Katatonia, Soilwork, and Power Trip. Fans have been highly anticipating a new drop from the group. Their new album “Terra Inferna”’ offers their fanbase an enthralling mix of thrash and death metal and lyrical themes of loss, despair, guilt, and eventually, hope.

With no hesitation, the album slams into “Witch Hunt” pulling the listener into an infernal escape of blistering riffs and frenetic drumming. The lyrics evoke a powerful narrative of helplessness and persecution, as Lupton expresses the feelings of being caught in a relentless cycle of torment and loss of control. The vivid language haunts the listener, weaving together a battle against overwhelming odds with an uncertain future, making for a deeply impactful listening experience. Lupton’s razor-sharp, exultant vocals set this track off with a blend of unapologetic rage and anguish, rendering an overall triumphant, reckoning atmosphere. “Witch Hunt” has garnered a lot of anticipation since its release as a single.

“Nightmare Architect” stands as a testament to Matt Thornton’s seasoned expertise on the drums. The track opens with a beating, melodic introduction that steadily builds tension towards a seamless yet still ruthless chorus with thunderous blast beats and a hulking bpm, which any thrash fans are bound to appreciate. Throughout the song, there’s an intricate interplay between both Humphry and Thornton, as well as the heavy bassline from the double bass and the lead guitar’s shredding solo. Embellished with tight fills and cymbal work, there is a strong sense of dualling partnership that makes this album as a whole feel even tighter. Thornton’s talents are a divine force in this song, underscored by an intense undertone of passion and labour for the craft, which pays off lavishly.

Probably the most unyielding track yet, “Hell on Earth” is a relentless assault, with each riff and rhythm section serving as a battering ram, smashing through layers of intense emotional themes of grief, loss, and anguish. Anger can be a retaliation for these feelings. Through the infernal portrait painted by the band, fiery fury and spite can be felt through each chord, beat, and growl, making it perfect to inspire the cover art for “Terra Inferna”. The gloomy, broad painting lays out a barren landscape, lit with waterfalls and lakes of lava. Standing in the forefront is a lone traveller, cloaked in a dark hood, peering beyond the perilous depths towards a faint hum of light through the fog. It perfectly encapsulates the journey Flaming Wrekage takes you on throughout this record and tells you everything you need to know in one image.

Something to note about the lyricism within this album is Lupton’s superb ability to portray these vulnerable struggles through certain figures regularly mentioned throughout the course of the record. These characters could include “The Master”, as mentioned in Witch Hunt, or “The Gatekeeper” in Nightmare Architect; the subtle references are hidden within each track. With crucial imagery such as locusts, battlegrounds, and rusted gates, there is slowly a world being intricately spun around the listener, which makes these layers of emotions so much more than just that. Instead, creating a physicality of them allows Lupton to show his audience how they grow and change around him; it fleshes them out into complex entities that other people can find a sense of relatability in. “No Gods” is a good example of this, as when Dave screams “No gods and no masters,” it signifies a new point in his journey; he is learning to defeat these aforementioned figures, and we get to experience that with him. Speaking on this track, Thornton notes, “There’s still some pretty straight-up brutal thrash and death metal sections (on the album) for sure. But I think this is a record where you don’t want to take it on face value at first. There’s a lot to unpack as you listen to it a few more times with the songwriting.”

“Blood and Bone” is a powerful anthem and has already been celebrated as such, as it was widely appreciated upon its release as a single. It was featured on Apple Music’s “Breaking Metal” playlist, an editorial compilation of songs that’s used to propel the future of metal music, for over two weeks. The track slowly lures the listener in at the start, with a string section that whirrs and weaves between staggering drum beats, eventually pulsating into a lush soundscape of layers using synth, 12-string guitars, and electric tracks. The lyrics reference “a slowly decaying boneyard, where old habits die hard.” It feels like a standstill of sorts after being at your lowest point and being able to admit that in “No Gods”, this chapter is about mourning the losses of your past, but using the burdens as a flaming spark to reemerge.

“Ghosts”’ was released in February this year as one of the singles to help promote the album, alongside an accompanying music video. The clip is so well shot and produced that it almost feels like a short film based on most Aussie metal bands initiation in the scene. It’s set in a quiet, dark pub run by Astrodeath’s Tim Lancken and Nano from Black Rheno as an unimpressed regular. As the band sets up to perform, Chappo from Mountain Wizard Death Cult is perfectly portraying an eccentric bogan local; that’s spot on, down to the Cold Chisel band tee with cut-off sleeves and the “back in my day” ramblings. In between the comedy and stunning videography, it also serves its purpose of encapsulating the passion and energy the band have for playing with some incredible action shots. This music video exudes the band’s personality and character and is an homage of sorts to the local metal scene’s culture and humour.

“Paralysis” kicks off with a captivating lead guitar riff that slams into your left ear. Then, before you even have a second to think, a second guitar erupts to the right, intertwining to create a tapestry of sound. The riff blends the catchy, melodic sensibility of Avenged Sevenfold with a Slayer-esque dose of raw power. Thornton’s drumming and Campbell’s bass lines provide a potent rhythmic backbone, propelling the song forward into the first verse. Dave Lupton’s vocals deliver a raw emotional punch. His screams against the relentless tide, declaring “Against the tides, with two dead eyes, I sing a broken hymn,” convey pure desperation. The pain in his voice echoes the lyrics’ stark imagery of being torn “limb from limb.” A brief moment of harmonised vocals offers a haunting contrast before Thornton unleashes a furious barrage of blast beats, driving the song’s intensity to a new level. This shift perfectly mirrors the speaker’s internal conflict—a struggle between fragmented despair and a desperate spark of defiance.

The final, lingering notes of “Paralysis” don’t have a chance to fade into silence before “Enduring Decay” begins its chilling ascent. A lone guitar creeps in, its intro melody slowly replacing the dying echoes of the previous track. This haunting exchange is masterfully executed, creating a sense of seamless descent into a darker, more ominous soundscape. The solitary guitar is then joined by the full force of the band, mirroring the aggressive energy of “Paralysis” but with a newfound sense of dread. It’s a transition that perfectly embodies the song’s title, “Enduring Decay”, pulling the listener deeper into the album’s oppressive atmosphere. About a minute into the track, the band unleashes a wild breakdown. A triplet rhythm erupts from the guitars and drums, a relentless assault that tears through the track. But it’s the way they punctuate each three-note burst with those sharp silences that hits the adrenaline just right. It’s precise and brutal, and it ratchets up the intensity in a way that’s impossible to ignore. This isn’t just a breakdown; it’s a battle cry.

If your neck isn’t already snapped in half by now, buckle in for one more thrilling track. “Our Own Blood” is an epic, hopeful conclusion to “Terra Inferna”, with gleaming guitars that triumphantly roar over and over, and heavy drums that made me want to stomp around with it. As per the rest of the album, the words “This was not for nothing” resided with me. On these lyrics, Thornton explains that “It’s kind of about that eternal struggle and just being in pits of loss. It’s quite dark, but I wanted something to look at to help people try and get through those times. Where you need is that beam of light within view, even though a lot of the time it feels like you can’t really see it. That’s definitely the theme that runs through the record.” The outro to the album is a fade out into a beautiful acoustic version of the riff, encapsulating an optimistic end to the album.

Through the onslaught and experimentation of their craft, “Flaming Wrekage” has managed to perfect the sense of impending doom, emotionality and fiery atmosphere that makes me love this genre so much. It is very rewarding to listen to this record from start to end, and was definitely constructed for that purpose. With it’s poetic, gothic lyricism growled over thunderous riffs and skull crushing drumming, there’s not much to not love about it. “Flaming Wrekage” are performing album launch shows on May 25th at the Workers Club (Melbourne) and June 8 at The Lansdowne (Sydney). “Terra Inferna” is available for streaming everywhere NOW.

FLAMING WREKAGE
Exclusive Album Launch Shows!

Sat May 25
The Workers Club, Melbourne

Sat June 8
The Lansdowne, Sydney

Tickets

Check out FLAMING WREKAGE below
Facebook – Instagram – YouTube – SHOP

Press Release 26th April 2024 (below) HERE

FLAMING WREKAGE
new track
‘BLOOD AND BONE’

+ New album
‘TERRA INFERNA’
out now

++ Exclusive
Album Launch Shows

Stream: HERE / Order: HERE

‘TERRA INFERNA’ album released via Grindhead Records: April 26th, 2024

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