Wakrat – “Wakrat” [Album Review]

One thing is for sure when sitting down to Wakrat’s self-titled debut: it is whack. As fuck.

I wish I could be more creative, but I think that applies to both sides of the aisle in this analysis of a largely stilted, energetic mess of directionless angst. What transpires on the 27+ minutes of the LP fronted by Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave bassist Tim Commerford is a mess. The brunt of which can be seen in their cringe-worthy publicity stunt to promote their album by marching on Parliament in Westminster. Because if there’s one thing that anarchist and libertarian politics demands, it’s declaring a nation state eponymously titled after your band in order to drive album sales and social media marketing.

If it sounds like I’m being unfair, or focusing on things outside of the music, that’s because I’m trying to not think about the music. The album itself is a collection of tropes that, while energetic and catchy for the first minute, become so reliant on nu-metal tone and stop-so-Tom-can-whisper-a-couple-words-before-the-song-continues patterns that it becomes one long string of unfortunate, grating, despair (and not the good kind either). Of course it might carry impetus if the vocals were carrying some sort of message, possibly a message of political solidarity a lå the RATM-era backing of La Zapatista movement, or at least one of familiar anti-corporate goals.

Instead, one is greeted with lines off of “Generation Fucked” like “Making an enemy / a mortal enemy / to pin omega on this allegory” and “We’re fucked / truly fucked / declaration: holy fuck / generation fucked”. It’s exactly the kind of nihilistic headspace that the album seems to want to decry. While at least it’s angry, this isn’t directed anywhere, presumably because that would require a level of education, maturity or courage far beyond their apparent capacity. Instead, one is greeted with “We’re fucked” placards, the least helpful kind of outspoken message, lacking in structure or meaning (which goes for music as well). Otherwise, you end up just as guilty as the red-faced lunatic spewing bombast on the podium.

The sad fact proven by this album is this: just because you’re yelling, doesn’t mean you have anything to say.

Wakrat Track Listing:

01. Sober Addiction
02. The Number
03. Generation Fucked
04. Nail In The Snail
05. La Liberté ou la Mort
06. The Thing
07. Knucklehead
08. New Clear
09. Pigs In A Blanket

Run Time: 27:45
Release Date: November 11, 2016

Check out the song “Generation Fucked”