Metalcatto
As the year winds down and I clean our mailbox of lost hopes and dreams, I try to rescue a few things from the junk pile. Wayd is a band that has existed almost as long as yours truly. That usually means one of two things: a great history of success, or a long series of tragic events that stopped the project for years. Sometimes, of course, you get both. Anyway, I’m not entirely sure where Reinvent will fit into this story, but let’s see if the album was worth my dive into the mud. Fingers crossed.
So, if you were thinking this album looks like a Tech Death/Thrash and sax extravaganza, then yes, you got it right (and no, there’s no way that was your first guess). There’s a balance here between crazy avant-garde sections reminiscent of Ihsahn and more classic, spacey riffing that would fit perfectly on a Voivod record. At the same time, a lot of the ideas bring back memories of old Quo Vadis. If you think these are too many comparisons, fear not, because Reinvent ultimately stands on its own as a distinct work, full of twists and turns that keep you guessing.
What I ended up appreciating the most about the album is its variety. Despite a strong sense of cohesion, no two tracks feel the same. You might get a brutally complex riff followed by a tasteful sax solo (yes, it can happen), and then slide straight into thrashy riffs and vocals that keep things simple and fun. It’s not bizarre for the sake of being bizarre, and while some of these ideas may have been explored before, they are rarely presented with this level of experience and execution. This is clearly a veteran band that deserves far more attention than it probably gets.
That said, this doesn’t mean life is perfect and free of horrors. The album might throw a few curveballs your way. For one, the sheer number of songs can make the experience feel longer than it actually is. The cohesion is definitely there, but it flickers at times, mostly because the first half of the album feels particularly strong. That doesn’t mean the second half is weak, just that the band seems to shine the brightest when the sax sneaks in unexpectedly. If anything, I’d happily take even more sax, but we can’t have everything we want, right?
Never underestimate what you can find while doing your end-of-the-year cleanup (and now you’re probably going to tell me you’re a hoarder, so you have no idea what I’m talking about). Reinvent is exactly that kind of discovery: a fresh take that mixes technicality and creativity in an accessible format. It’s intricate Metal without the pretentious edge, something that has never been very common. So go ahead and jump right in.
Label: Independent
Release date: November 1, 2025
Website: https://wayd.bandcamp.com/album/reinvent
Country: Slovakia
Score: 4.0/5.0
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