If you have been a long time fan of The Chariot, then you may not be surprised by the first thing I say about their newest release, “One Wing”. It’s different.
It’s different from all of their previous releases, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The same thing could have been said about “Long Live” and “Wars and Rumors of Wars” before. That difference is what makes The Chariot so great and unique.
“One Wing” starts with the very aggressive track “Forget.” The song spews out fast-paced vocal arrangements, with sometimes nearly breathless screams from vocalist Josh Scogin. The song continues through sporadic guitar riffs leading to one of the heaviest guitar riffs I’ve heard from the band.
The album continues on to be one of the most interesting albums I’ve ever heard. Through Deftones-esque instrumentals and vocals on “Not,” done by former guitarist Brian Taylor, a beautiful vocal piece by Angela Plake on “Your,” and strange sounds in “Tongues,” The Chariot has surprises up each sleeve on the record.
For those wondering about the strange song titles, they were done to spell out two sentences, “Forget not your first love. Speak in tongues and cheek.”
The most interesting track on the album is “First.” With a huge instrumental section featuring a western guitar riff, quick snare rolls, blaring trumpets and even the crack of a whip, this song sounds like it came straight out of a John Wayne movie.
The beautiful ballad “Speak” gives way to the second half of the album. Scogin’s screams over minor piano chords still gives me chills.
The Chariot even sampled the famous speech by Charlie Chaplin from “The Great Dictator” in “Cheek.”
“One Wing” is a rollercoaster of a record, one that only The Chariot could create. I thought it would be tough to create a record better than “Long Live,” but somehow this band blew me away again. It’s a masterpiece that any fan of heavy music should pick up.