Chase Wigmore - "One Last Act Of Defiance" Album Review!!

With news slow as of late, here is our 134th monthly CD review at The Sault Metal Scene, as we're taking a look at local folk punk/metal solo musician (The Ghost Of) Chase Wigmore's second official (non-demo) solo album "One Last Act Of Defiance"! Independently released on December 21st, 2019, this album came out just two weeks after his prior album "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To", which we reviewed on the site that month, and as I don't review albums from the same project within a 6 month span, this review had to wait a bit. Also, this is a fitting review to tie in with Chase's sets at the Squatfest house party festival in Heyden earlier this month. Featuring Chase on all instruments, "One Last Act Of Defiance" sees him focusing on extreme black metal material, rather than the irreverent folk punk that "Songs To Punch Yourself..." contains, though this is distinct from his industrial/crust-influenced metal project Awokest.

Digital copies of "One Last Act Of Defiance" run for $7 (or more) on Bandcamp, but it can be streamed for free there and on YouTube, and it is also available on Apple Music & Amazon Music. Song names below are linked to their Bandcamp copies. As for CD copies, inquire with Chase if you are curious, but I have not seen a public announcement about them. With 7 songs running for about 35 minutes in length, let's begin with this review with the opening track, "Living Life In Living Hell"! Opening with a very ominous tone and rustling sound effects, the song launches into full gear with an almost Judas Priest-inspired riff, before the death metal influence hits at full blast. I will be honest, Chase's blackened vocals are barely audible on this recording, but the punishing pace and strong instrumentation will definitely appease heavier tastes, and his guitar solo adds some nice zest late! I like the groove and arrangement a lot here, but it ends too abruptly, and again, I just wish the vocals were louder than they are.

Next up is the album's longest song, "Plenty Of Regrets (None You Suspect)", which again has an ominous intro, this time with recited and increasingly harsh spoken word, but soon we get a feast of chaotic noise metal, and the vocals are slightly more prominent in the mix to boot! Structurally, this song is definitely more intense (if messier) than on the opening track, and it sounds tailor made for an all ages mosh pit! That said, the bass lines sound increasingly out of place, I did miss a guitar solo, and I admittedly preferred the opener for it's structure and catchy guitar work. Third is the shortest track, "Trust Me I'm Lying", which brings back the groove-influenced riffing of the opener, but with a slower, more deliberate pace, albeit not at a doom level. I like the drum track a lot, and the crushing breakdown in the last 30 seconds is a nice cherry on top, but a guitar solo would have been an asset, and the vocals return to buried levels here, and come off as even more distorted.

Song #4 is "Life Transcending Value", which makes nice use of galloping percussion, and has some of the clearest vocals yet, albeit clean ones that showcase a little too much distortion for my liking. If any song harbours a progressive rock sound on the album, it's this one, which seems to laugh in the face of structure. It's definitely well composed, and Chase shows his most diverse vocals yet, but it definitely decreases in heaviness as it goes along, and if you're a "verse chorus verse" listener, the time signature changes and free-wheeling composition won't be for you. That's followed by "Angles Six Through Nine", which is more of a straightforward death/noise metal song, one that seems to be driven primarily by the drum track, which gets punishing on the choruses. The blackened vocals are more audible and less distorted, but the guitar is really buried and feels like an afterthought. Nice and aggressive overall, but for my liking, very inconsistently mixed.

The penultimate song is "The Mind Cracks For The Back Can Not", which has another pounding groove to it's starting riff that transitions into the remaining bleak territory seamlessly. The drum programming sounds at it's most artificial here, but the aggressive blackened stylings are very welcome, and this is definitely the heaviest composition on the album, which I definitely appreciate! This is probably the most effective use of Chase's vocals too, suiting the composition while also getting loud enough to leave an impact. Definitely one of my highlights on this CD! Things wrap up with the title track, "One Last Act Of Defiance", which is the album's only instrumental, and definitely the least heavy song on offer, though it's still very much a metal track. After opening with thunder sound effects, the song proper is more of a showcase of Chase's pure instrumental talent, including the long awaited return of guitar solos! It's a solid closer to ease us to the finish line, though it still has a very raw essence to it, and it's not as technical as preceding tracks.

So, what are my final thoughts on Chase's second December 2019 album? Well, if you like his extreme metal talents and his work in Awokest, you'll be right at home here! As a metalhead first and foremoist, I do prefer "One Last Act Of Defiance" to "Songs To Punch Yourself In The Face To", and it allows Chase another opportunity to let loose with black, death, and post-metal intensity! Comparisons to his Awokest albums are inevitable, and while this has less of a concept and an industrial influence than "Solving The Human Condition", it is more experimental, especially on "Life Transcending Value". However, like on that album, I was hoping for more guitar solos, which we only got on the opener and closer. My biggest issue with "O.L.A.O.D." was the mixing, especially the often quiet & distorted vocals, but abrupt song endings were also of note. Chase is a very talented and creative musician, and it shows in spades here, with songs like "The Mind Cracks..." and "Living Life In Living Hell" among my favourite recordings on this album.

Overall, Chase delivered another intense and aggressive batch of songs with this album, and while the mixing wasn't ideal, extreme metalheads and Awokest fans will find a lot to like! Buy or stream "One Last Act Of Defiance" at the above links, and I hope you guys liked this month's CD review! That said, what album will we be reviewing on the site to kick off the fall season with? I'm not 100% certain yet, but I do have ideas. Of course, if a major new local metal, hard rock, or punk album comes out next month goes on sale, that will get precedence, and our next "Where Are The New Albums?" post (dropping one week from Wednesday) may have hints in that regard. If nothing new comes out, my tentative plan is to review defunct local hard rock band Redefined's recently rediscovered 2002 album "Risk & Uncertainty", to tie in with guitarist Matt Sibilo's debut gig with Fort Creek at Reggie's Place next Friday, and yes, we will be talking about that in our next news post.

In any event, stay tuned for updates on our next CD review in the month ahead, and look for a new news post later this week, plus this month's YouTube Channel Profile on Wednesday! Thanks everyone!