Lazer/Wülf

Instrümetal

originally published July 30, 2008

Perseverance doesn’t always have to imply a particular level of suffering. It can simply mean diligently stepping over any roadblocks in one's path and continuing on. In this respect, Athens metal band Lazer/Wülf is one of the most persevering bands in town.

Although the lineup now stands at three members, the group has included as many as five and as few as two. Most recently, though, Lazer/Wülf (which has not always had a singer) featured vocalist Jimmy Baldwin in addition to its core of drummer Mathius York, guitarist Bryan Aiken and bassist Sean Peiffer. After Baldwin’s exit following throat problems, the trio realized that a lot could be said without vocalizing anything. Aiken says, “It wasn't even a decision to continue as an instrumental trio. It was obvious; we had already become comfortable without the crutch of vocals years before, and we were confident that our music was emotive enough that an audience could still connect without being told, verbally, what to feel. In fact, the return to our instrumental roots was freeing in a lot of ways.”

Although not the most visible band around town or one that comes up in conversation very much, Lazer/Wülf has connected with a fan base that has spread largely by word of mouth. They are conscientious about meeting new fans at shows and are careful to spot new faces. Still, the band was knocked for a loop when it came in second in the 2007 Flagpole Music Awards in the category of Best Up And Coming Band. “[That was a] total surprise,” says York. “The first year, we didn't even know we were nominated until too late. We didn't let anyone know about that.” However, after being nominated in the 2008 season for Band/Performer of the Year, the guys in Lazer/Wülf quietly let it be known that they were in the running, and their fans responded. In the end, Lazer/Wülf took home the award in that category. “'Surprise' is a vast understatement. It was a sucker-punch of absolute shock,” says Aiken. "We thank everyone who voted for us as Band of the Year, but in this town, I don't know how that happened. I talked to Jeff Tobias from We Versus the Shark, one of my biggest influences, after the awards ceremony, and he said he wasn't surprised and that we had supporters outside of just metal because of our interesting approach to the music. It was a huge honor not only to receive that award, but to get a pat on the back from someone who made me want to do this in the first place!”

Lazer/Wülf has just finished recording its newest full-length album. However, while it seems appropriate to refer to the new recording, The Void That Isn’t, as a full-length release, Aiken seems torn over this designation. He says, “It's five instrumental songs, for a total of 31 minutes, and while I'm not sure what constitutes a ‘full-length,’ I'm doubly unsure that this actually is one. Our first album, Demo-Lition! was the same amount of material, about the same length, but less than a fourth of the quality. That's why we consider that one a demo and this one an EP. But hey, if we can pass it off as a full-length, why not? Cinemechanica's The Martial Arts is the same length as our Void, so what the hell!”

The recording was done with engineer Anthony Lunn of Rising Tide Recordings at his home studio. “The experience was beyond incredible,” says Aiken. “He was open to any amount of antics or tangents that we are prone to take to an extreme. He let us have full reign of the ultimate direction of the recording and the flow of the album as a cohesive piece of music. It was beyond our expectations. We would show up at his place with all sorts of instruments and found objects and kitchen utensils, even an actual cellist and a flautist at one point, and Anthony was always supportive.”

Although Lazer/Wülf, whose name Aiken notes bears more than a passing resemblance to Fiddler on the Roof butcher Lazar Wulf, is confident in its brand of instrumental heavy metal, the members recognize that this aspect of the band may be unsettling for listeners used to being told how to think and react via a vocalist's lyrics. They would rather this effect come by way of the music itself. “We all need to vent, so metal is perfect for venting. But really, Lazer/Wülf is selfish,” says York. “We want our fans to be angry, then sad then happy. I want my music to affect you the way I want you to be affected.” Speaking of the music’s future, he says, “I love instrumental, but I know there are a lot of people who need lyrics to relate to music. Instrumental music is so much harder to pull off. You can't just repeat a riff over and over... To be able to keep someone’s attention for 40 minutes without saying a word is a huge challenge, don't you think?"

You can catch Lazer/Wülf live at Tasty World on Friday, Aug. 8.

Gordon Lamb