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First of all, your guess is as good as mine as to how to pronounce the name of this PEI outfit. Secondly, trying to pin an exact comparison to their sound is almost as difficult a task as accurately uttering their name. At their core, they're death metal, but there are so many other influences from the worlds of black, death and thrash that creep into their songs that it's tough to properly categorize them. It's probably intentional, as I'm certain that most bands shun the concept of categorization, but when you grab sounds akin to the groove of Leng Tch'e, the mushy death metal fury of old Cryptopsy or even the muddled, epic scream fests of some of the first Cradle of Filth releases, you're basically making a statement of how open your songwriting sessions can be. The production quality of Uigg's debut isn't the best but under the dirty production lays a very interesting combination of some of the most intense and well-loved metal styles out there.
(Diminished Fifth)
Holy Christ on a cracker! A metal band from PEI! For those who don’t know, PEI is the acronym for Canada’s own Prince Edward Island. Being a dude from Maine, those from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI are kind of our brethren in Canada, in which we share many family ties as evidenced by the many French surnames on the Coast of Maine. Whatever though, most reading this probably could give two shits about having a geography lesson, they want to know about the metal! Well, lucky for everyone, this metal band from PEI called Uigg isn’t just an average band from some random Canadian island that most Americans haven’t heard of, nay dear friends, Uigg is a better than average band from some random Canadian island that most Americans haven’t heard of!
When I first hit play on my To Punish And Enslave CD, I sighed, because the ntitial song “One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall” wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be. It was under-produced, and the band could not get in sync with the drummer, especially the vocalist! I thought to myself that this was going to be a chore getting through this album, and once the band got wind of the bad review, they would cross the border and come hunt me down PEI style. Luckily, when the second song “Failure” kicked in, I became really glad I decided to keep listening. What remains after the first track is a complete album of catchy, death/black metal that is much more traditional than the deathcore mess of today. Plus one for Uigg!
Interestingly enough, Uigg reminds me a bit of another underground act I recently reviewed Cyaegha, in that they are both modern death metal bands that don’t necessarily fall into the pit of mainstream death metal. I was happy to make this comparison, because it shows a pleasant trend I foresee hitting death metal. To Punish and Enslave represents hope on the horizon for me, because it is indeed a straight up, good death metal record with black metal influences. Each song is brutal and doesn’t need to rely on a groove or a breakdown to make the aggression happen. The emotion and feel is in Uigg’s music, which is represented quite well in the guitar solos that are strewn throughout this record, as well as the vocals of Daniel Dowling who could easily take over for Chris Barnes in Six Feet Under if he went on an ounce a day pot smoking regimen.
Despite the qualities To Punish and Enslave possesses, it is still hindered at times by laggy drum and rhythm guitar work that always seems to keep the band from punching forward into the next song. I won’t harp on the production values, because for a small indie death metal band, this shit isn’t half bad. If this record turns a few heads in the future, I expect Uigg’s next album to contain tighter instrumentation and better production values. Uigg has made a good record in To Punish and Enslave, and because of that, I as a newfound fan expect bigger and better things in the future.
GOOD
Top Tracks: Failure, Catharsis, Slamhog
Similar Artists: Cyaegha, Aborted, Napalm Death, Morbid Angel
1. Extinction Strategy
2. One Shall Stand, One Shall Fall
3. Failure
4. Sadistic Reprisal
5. Final Hour
6. Catharsis
7. Slamhog
8. We Can’t All Be Saints
9. To Punish And Enslave
10. The Harbinger
Daniel Dowling - Vocals/Programming
Chris Gaudette - Guitar
Christ Daucette - Guitar
Ryan Hale - Bass
Craig St Jean - Drums
Diminished Fifth Records
http://www.myspace.com/uigg
Review by CODY
Crossover bands have always been around in the metal world, but lately groups have started to pop up that pulled influence from just about every sub-branch of the heavy metal world. One of the latest is Canada’s UIGG, who recently released their debut To Punish and Enslave. This release offers a mix of death metal, black metal, thrash and even a little stoner rock, which is definitely one hell of a mix. But despite some occasionally questionable vocals UIGG is off to a great start and has proven that they can mix all of these styles with relative ease.
To Punish and Enslave primarily features very heavy growling and raspy screaming that is similar to many of the black metal bands out there. But throughout the course of the album, UIGG also attempts to throw in a few other vocal styles as well. And while they should certainly be applauded for trying something different, some of the band’s experiments don’t always work out. On a few of the songs one of the members throws in a very raspy and high pitched scream that he holds for very long periods of times, and while this is cool the first time it becomes a little grating when it happens again. This could potentially turn some listeners off, and if UIGG wants to continue this in the future then their vocalist will need just a little bit more practice.
While initially it seems as though UIGG is going to be another black/thrash metal band, they quickly showcase plenty of other influences. Whether it is more melodically oriented stoner rock or fast paced thrash, there is always something new to discover on To Punish and Enslave. And while this group isn’t the only one who has ever attempted this, they are one of the few who are able to move between so many styles in the course of an album (or at times, even one song) and seamlessly integrate all of the elements. This definitely helps UIGG to stand out from the pack, and showcases that the instrumentalists have a lot more ideas than one might expect.
The vocals still need a little bit of work, but as long as listeners can overlook this fact then they will find that UIGG has some very impressive instrumentals and a mix of styles that is more varied than most. To Punish and Enslave definitely has noteworthy moments and this group has also given themselves plenty of room to grow, so it seems likely that these guys will keep getting better and better as they move forward. But now would still be a great time to get into their music, as what UIGG has to offer now is still better than most newcomers to the metal genre.
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