Review Summary: Screech Owl is an abrasive black noise record that rejects the faint of heart's suggestions.
Known only by the enigmatic shroud of black noise that follows them wherever they go, Wold are sadistic creatures out for blood. Encasing their victims within fugues of abrasive, cantankerous noise, Wold kill. Embedded in static noise, they arrive. Their call is split between two ways: A sound layered with dissonant, boisterous noises and, beside it, a shrill scream. This scream tells of magic, conjures Odin, and tells of many more items to behold in the north. The cinematic lyrical stylings Wold offers tell of native, Canadian creature comforts: Ice; snow; dark skies and gnarled, deceased trees. This adds to the atmosphere that Wold produce consistently. Each serial of rumbling noise is like static. It's enigmatic, ominous, and interesting. What lays beneath is a loud, sporadic series of shrill notes. Wold play with extremes that aid their quest to shock. By toying constantly with machinery, they capture the darkness that lurks in the recesses of the members of Wold's minds. This aural assault is deeply perturbing and fascinating. One cannot help but dissect the sound of Wold, or let it the sinister noise sink in. On “An Habitation of Dragons And A Court For Owls” a fuzzy, distorted loop is played for over four minutes, amplifying this effect. “Screech Owl” begins with a yawning guitar and layers of unadulterated noise to spare. However, a distinct black metal tinge litters this album. High shrieks are found on both of these tracks, and towards the end of the album, the extreme metal influence becomes all the more palpable. “December Eve”, “Nervosa”, and “This Is How I Know” are prime examples of the more brash parts of Screech Owl
. The former and the latter components are used to magnify the sheer intensity that Wold has recorded here. This intensity shows that it is as boisterous as it is dark, as intense as it is layered, and about as large a rumbling fury as they come. Wold have created a great sophomore effort, and have created the groundwork for something superb to come along.