This experimental doom metal band hails from the fictional town of Howling Wasteland, California (damn — if that were a real place, can you imagine what type of music scene it’d have?). They’re also shrouded in mystery: there’s scant information on the people behind Wreck and Reference, only a manifesto that the band represents “the foundation of man, purified and alone, pitted against collusion of the modern washing away in metallic paints.” Don’t scratch your head trying to figure that one out: just have a listen to their new LP No Youth, available as a name-your-price download on Bandcamp. It’s more of the terrific post-metal musings that the band showcased on their debut, Black Cassette: Tazmanian-devil drum fills, jazzy breakdowns, and plenty of screams pivoting between the guttural and the melodic. Be sure to snag “Cannot,” which proves that drone, emo, screamo and black metal can all coexist in a giant ball of angst. And someone encorporate a town in the desert and call it Howling Wasteland.
• Wreck and Reference: http://wreckandreference.bandcamp.com
• Flenser Records: http://theflenser.com
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