Metal Band of the Week:

iwrestledabearonce

September 19, 2009 by Kyle Brady
Tags: "iwrestledabearonce", Band, Metal, Music, Review
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iwrestledabearonce’s weirdness starts with their name and doesn't stop:  they call themselves an “avant-garde” metal band to explain their bridging of genres, not just subgenres, and deliverance of a gut-wrenching sonic attack on listeners.  But after the initial shock fades, their talent and uniqueness shine through in subsequent listening sessions, with listener appreciation rising.

At times, iwrestledabearonce approaches what could be classified as progressive black metal, sharing musical moments with Between the Buried and Me – but these moments don’t last.  Never does a song on their full-length 2009 debut album, “It’s All Happening”, stay consistent for even half of their typical three minute lengths, instead choosing to spastically smash entirely different musical structures together, layered with female-led vocals that range from death metal screaming to blues-style moaning.  Tying their songs together, however, are the very differences that separate them to begin with, oddly using a formula that inserts significantly slower and oppositely-themed segments into the middle of each song.

Throughout the album, there is a sense that under the intentionally awkward music lies a band that doesn’t take themselves seriously, perhaps explaining why the “avant garde” self-label – an artistic movement known for being extremely different, and, at times, unpalatable.  Polka, jazz, swing, techno, post-metal, and a slew of other genre types are found within the critically acclaimed 33-minute album that brings a refreshing change of pace to the metal community.  Touring partners like Despised Icon, As Blood Runs Black, Horse the Band, August Burns Red, and Bless the Fall ensure that this lovably awkward band from Louisiana will have a chance to continue to frustrate large audiences, hopefully resulting in further support by Century Media and another album in the near future.

Currently on tour in the United States and soon to be found in Europe, iwrestledabearonce can be found on MySpace;  their full-length debut, “It’s All Happening”, can be found on Amazon [CD] [MP3], along with their self-titled EP [CD] [MP3].

"Metal Band of the Week" is a weekly series, published on Saturdays, showcasing metal bands that get less attention than they deserve.
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.