Album Academy

Time to dive into one of my favorite metal bands of all time. White Ward. The album, Love Exchange Failure. While they have a more recently released album, this one was my first and my favorite. I’m going to start pretty down with this one and pay some MAD respects to the members of White Ward. While the line up has changed frequently through the years, none hit me harder than the most recent when Andrii Petchatkin, former vocalist and bassist left. False Light was released just four months after the war in Ukraine started. The Odesa based band was set back for some time but felt it more important than ever to get the album out. While there is speculation Andrii left to join the fight, I honestly can’t say for certain. 

White Ward derives its name from psychiatric wards due to their wanting to bring awareness to mental illness and health. Every album brings with it struggle. Love Exchange Failure just happens to be the one that resonates most with me. The title track starts with the sounds of sirens in the background followed by haunting chords that immediately make you feel heartache. I remember playing those chords over and over in an empty room on a detuned piano just to try and encapsulate that feeling. The soft notes of the saxophone and light drums accompanying it pull you directly into that feeling of hopelessness and loneliness we have all faced. It’s definitely worth watching their live performance which I will link here. 

The music takes a drastic step I think many who suffer mental illness can relate with. A feeling of isolation disturbed by rage. Anger. Hatred. Pain. The longingness is forgotten by desolation. An image of a burning city, fallen by your own hands. 

Love Exchange Failure rarely gives you the chance to breathe through the powerful emotions but rather gives moments to feel them. Really, truly, fully feel. Music is a wonderful tool to help with that. I think many people are afraid to feel those emotions and to face them. That’s what I believe makes White Ward unique. Yes, plenty of music is emotional and made to evoke emotion. White Ward digs up the emotions that were already there. You will face your demons through this album. You may fall victim to some of them while you do. There are so many moments to help you with that fight. White Ward isn’t just going to give you an army to fight. They’re going to fight it alongside you. And this may be a way of me saying we should fight alongside them in turn, but regardless…

I know this review isn’t focusing much on the actual songs themselves as I feel to deep dive into each one would be stealing the emotional impact they all carry. This review will also be one of my shorter ones and I will not allow comments on this due to the semi-political nature of the war raging on and my personal thoughts towards it. 

I ask you to listen to this album with respect. All their albums with respect. They are a band so desperately worthy of it. They have bared their souls to us with such powerful messages. May we show them our love and support.