Get caught in the NARCOTIC WASTELAND at Boggs
by Scott “Riff Peddler” Belzer
What do you get when you cross the ethos of straight-edge hardcore with the mind melting sounds of tech death? What happens when a band evolves from writing about death as a concept to describing substance-related real-life experiences with death?
Do.. do the riffs suffer? Do the growls not hit as hard? Does the impact of those breakdowns, blast beats, solos and faster-than-you-can-shake-a-stick-at tempo changes.. somehow lessen?
In the case of North Carolina tech death stalwarts NARCOTIC WASTELAND, the answer is a resounding, “NO! You idiot. You imbecile. You nincompoopin’ scallywag.”
Helmed by ex-NILE bassist, guitarist, and vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade, Narcotic Wasteland blends the punishing confusion of Gorguts, the technical mastery of Suffocation, the brutality of Immolation, and the overall aggression of… well, Nile, to deliver grade A tech death to the metalhead masses.
Narcotic Wasteland’s two releases, Narcotic Wasteland and Delerium Tremens, assault listeners with barrage after barrage of precise riffs, drum fills, and radical rhythm shifts. Toler-Wade’s voice shouts over the assault like a general rallying the troops at Normandy, cutting through the technical prowess and commanding attention. There’s an aggression here that sets the band apart from most tech death bands, who seem to revel in their own musicianship at the cost of the music itself. Sorry, kids, there’s no wankery or showmanship, as each song has its own message and theme, never outstaying its welcome or sacrificing musical structure. Instead, Narcotic Wasteland tracks can be measured by their aggression—ebbing and flowing as necessary, nothing more, but still bringing more heat than a steel treatment plant in terms of musicianship.
It’s reminiscent of… well, Nile, as Narcotic Wasteland’s sound doesn’t necessarily borrow from Toler-Wade’s former band—it just highlights how much he influenced Nile’s sound.
Of course, you can’t talk about Narcotic Wasteland without talking about the band’s subject matter. Both releases—and subsequent singles—focus on the effects of alcoholism and drug abuse. Instead of interpreting what this means or adding a clever quip/joke/piece of bad writing, I’ll let Toler-Wade explain:
“I’m addressing all the bad stuff that goes on with addiction and making statements about what I see,” he says. “There have been a couple of people that have said we’re an anti-party band, but that’s not true at all. I don’t give a shit what people do with themselves. And, you know, if they can handle it, that’s fine. I’m really just interested in talking about addiction and some of the toxic human behavior that comes along with it.”
What I will say is the impact of drugs and alcoholism to families and society is as rage-inducing as any other death metal theme. Witnessing an entire society turn into withdrawal-stricken zombies or hallucinating drunks is downright macabre. And y’know what, that imagery is metal as fuck. It’s also 10000000x more real, relatable and impactful than 99% of metal out there. For that, I lift the metal horns to Narcotic Wasteland.
Narcotic Wasteland storms the Boggs Social & Supply Stage on Sunday, September 21 with FILTH and YOSEMITE IN BLACK. Ticket are on sale here.
-Scott Belzer