WHITE WARD - Thoughts on "Origins"

In our “Retrospective” series we looked back to the year 2020, our artist’s releases and the good things that were possible despite the pandemic’s rage. Now, it is time to welcome the future and to reflect on the music and releases which are already casting their shadows onto the new year. In 2021, a lot of new music will be unleashed, and we are excited to share our thoughts with you about the first three ones over three distinct posts!

On January 22^nd, the year begins with WHITE WARD’s “Origins”, a compilation of the early songs of the Ukrainian Avantgarde Black Metal band. Originally already released in digital format in the year 2016, we will now give these tracks physical form by releasing “Origins” on CD, tape, and vinyl. On songs like ‘Inhale My Despair’ or ‘Depths Of Arcane’, it is already possible to hear the various non-metal influences that will shape the coming albums “Futility Report” (2017) and “Love Exchange Failure” (2019).



Our Jonathan has the following to say about the early songs of WHITE WARD:

“Even though the ever so often uttered sentence ‘the first demo is the best’ for Black Metal releases usually bears no truth, there is something remarkable about listening to early recordings. You can feel the passion, dedication, and the youthful charm of not overthinking what you are doing. It seems to be a specific skill of the youth to let yourself fully immerse in your vision and your feelings without worrying about mundane trivialities. And so, while WHITE WARD’s later albums “Futility Report” and “Love Exchange Failure” are more thought-through and more on point when it comes to combining the different musical influences, the compositions on “Origins” show perfectly how a band is developing its sound. The inspiration coming from Black Metal is omnipresent, but in nearly all tracks one may already hear and feel how important Jazz tunes and a certain kind of “noir”-feeling is. A wonderful and melancholic start into a still bleak 2021!”

Mastermind Yurii comments on WHITE WARD’s “Origins” compilation:

“We are really excited about releasing the physical issue of the "Origins" compilation. All these songs are our history, and they are especially important for us. While listening to these songs you can trace the history of our development and changes in style from the very beginning of the WHITE WARD story. Also, we are happy to give our fans the possibility to listen to these songs in highest quality and with special vinyl mastering. This compilation is a prelude to our new releases during the year 2021.”

If you didn’t have a chance to give the songs of the compilation a spin yet, you can do so directly below. Also, “Origins” (with special merchandise) is available to pre-order via our EU shop, Bandcamp and US shop.