It just was never meant to be. These aren’t just the rantings of a polluted mind, but my sincere consensus after giving Worshipper‘s sophomore effort Light in the Wire (Tee Pee Records) a few spins. ‘Coming Through’ gets things started and feeling like we’re entering a Baroness type soundscape and I with weed pen in hand await with bated breath.

And that’s not saying that Light in the Wire is a bad time, I guess I was expecting something a tad more on the experimental or stoner side of things. ‘It All Comes Back’ moves at a brisk clip and has healthy amounts of rubbery bass snaking around at every corner and then you a get a ripper of a solo to make sure you get home safe and satisfied. While speaking of lead pyrotechnics, guitarist Alejandro Necochea should be commended for his solos elevating the later halves of ‘Who Holds the Light’ and ‘Nobody Else.’ Another unexpected ingredient that my tickled my fancy was the colorful use of keyboards on ‘Light in the Wires’ providing contrast to the mostly acoustic affair.

But for all these great elements I felt my attention beginning to drift away late on numbers like ‘Wither on the Vine’ and ‘Arise.’ I attribute this to songs running just a hair or two too long and not enough being done in terms of rhythm guitar to keep the energy flowing. ‘Visions from Beyond’ would have also benefitted from editorial restraint as it takes a minute to get into the musical protein.

So, unfortunately, I didn’t get as much enjoyment as I wanted out of Light in the Wire. Reminds me of my run in with a lovely young lady after a Boston anime convention. As much as I wanted it to work out between us my appalling lack of anime knowledge and or charisma kept things at a bit of distance. Can’t win them all.

6 / 10

HANS LOPEZ