Jun 4, 2021

Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage Shoot a 'Silver Bullet,' Through the Rock Scene

Seattle-based hard rock band Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage tear the Pacific Northwest rock scene to shreds with their third studio album entitled 'Silver Bullet.'

The project features fan-favorite singles like "Get Haunted," "War Within," and "Trauma Queen" while clocking in at 44:44 with eleven jam-packed songs. Produced by Don Gunn (Deathcab for Cutie, King Crimson), Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's 'Silver Bullet' is said to capture the listener's attention through its anthemic aggression and melodic vulnerability.

Opening the album with the intro track, "War Within," a powerful drum arrangement starts the track accompanied by a whaling electric guitar riff, a steady rhythm guitar, and the lead vocalist's hefty vocals that pierce our speakers with rage and angst. As Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage later transition into a blazing and upbeat instrumental atmosphere, we later become enthralled by the band's conceptual lyricism, taking us through the dynamic emotions of facing our inner war and gearing up for the fight ahead. The song's hook is wildly anthemic, as Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage take us through several instrumental transitions and tempo changes that leave us banging our heads until the outro.

Landing on the second track, "Allegory," we're met with more of a melodic and toe-tapping track through the band's quick tempos, intricate basslines, and layered electric guitar melodies that drench our speakers in energy. Not to mention the lead vocalist's clear and powerful vocal portrayal, he later brings listeners into the song's theme of sticking to your guns and facing life's trials and tribulations head-on. We're head over heels for the dense instrumental arrangements that Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage take us through, especially their ground-breaking electric guitar solos that bring us to our knees in need of rock's power and pressure.

Hitting play on another fan favorite, "Get Haunted," the track begins with a piercing and electrifying instrumental that brings us into a deep, dark, and ominous atmosphere. What we love about this track is the band's heavy and aggressive punk approach, as the lead vocalist guides us into a seance through his eerie lyricism that edges on clarity vs. insanity. Not to mention Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's tight and blistering instrumentals; they hit our speakers with Billy Talent-esque energy while taking us for a sonic spin with their tight transitions, smashing drum breaks, thumping basslines, and haunting electric guitar melodies.

Getting into another well-received single, "Trauma Queen," Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage take this opportunity to offer more of a mid-tempo and introspective tune, seeping our speakers in inner turmoil and haunting undertones. The track opens with a groovy and hefty bassline accompanied by mid-tempo drum breaks and brightly revered electric guitar panning from left to right. As the lead vocalist initially delivers more of a calming vocal approach, he later serves a bounty of reflection through his powerful stylings that depict our inevitable endings while accepting our fate at hand. We adore this song's introspective and emotional tones, as it balances the album's feel and tones perfectly.

The album's fifth and title track, "Silver Bullet," opens like a scorcher with Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's breathtaking instrumental soundscapes that charge through with a brilliant and anthemic feel. While they continue to charge through our speakers like a wildfire, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage later venture into another reflective lyrical atmosphere, craving to be set free from their ever-racing minds and the darkness that lingers within. We're genuinely captivated by the heavy rock tones and crashes that Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage drench us in, as they leave us locked into their incredible sonic experiences from bottom to top.

Reaching the middle of the album with "Crooked Angels," Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage open the song with a plucky acoustic-electric melody that swiftly drops into a powerhouse rock instrumental through high-energy drum breaks, scorching electric guitars, and a thick bassline. As the lead vocalist takes on an emotional vocal portrayal, he begins letting the listener into a fantasy-like story where we each walk alone while getting left behind by the angels that used to guide us. We're incredibly impressed with Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's conceptual lyrical themes, as they perfectly showcase their intense and detailed songwriting capabilities that leave their stylings unmatched.

Piercing our speakers with the album's seventh track, "Burn It Down," Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage opens the adventure with the utmost energy we've seen throughout the entire album. As they soak our speakers in their upbeat and energetic instrumentals once again, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's lead vocalist begins maintaining the song's lively and aggressive tone through his powerful screams that depict the debris and chaos that we all venture through at one time or another. We also must mention the band's massive basslines that drive their instrumentals to new, exciting, and stimulating places.

Darkening the atmosphere with the album's eighth track, "Binge," the track opens with more of a grunge-like feel through a hazy reverbed electric guitar melody at a downtempo pace alongside the lead vocalist's haunting vocal portrayal that sinks us in a deep state of reflection. As the heavy drums make their way in, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage later delve into their staple powerhouse instrumentals while touching on themes of drowning in inner sorrows and indulging in binges that might not benefit us in the long run. We must also mention how the band's drummer truly acts as the backbone of Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage, as his bewildering transitions and rhythm take us deeper into the overall listening experience.

Firing through our speakers with the next track, "Drag The Water," Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage open the song with their heavy instrumental breakdowns through a hefty snare pattern, blazing electric guitar riffs, a steady bassline, and an anthemic scream that sets the song's lively yet reflective tone. As the lead vocalist begins to channel a more emotional aspect, he later blazes through the fire of his inner thoughts while touching on themes of the truth and facing it one way or another. We love the band's transitions from the anthemic hook into the mid-tempo verse and back into the scorching pre-chorus, as they've truly mastered how to attain thorough and whole-sounding rock music.

Grabbing our attention with the next track, "Magna Carta," we're met with a tight and filtered electric guitar melody alongside a heavy kick drum. As the gripping instrumentals begin to seep through our speakers with a heavy breakdown, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's lead vocalist begins expanding on themes of how he used to have a plan but now, he seems to roam through life with a fight to survive the night. Taking us through yet another relatable message, the vocalist later screams lyrics like, "-show me a world worth dying for," which leaves us banging our heads in a state of realization.

Closing the album with their critically acclaimed single, "Swan Song," the track opens with a spacey and sci-fi-inspired electronic synth arrangement that brings us into an eerie and haunting atmosphere. As Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage transition into their sweltering hard-rock sound once again, they perfectly sum up the album with their beaming instrumentals that bring us to our knees. While the lead vocalist asks for the strength to carry on, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's entire instrumental leads us towards the outro with a bounty of reflection and aggression through each brilliant and dense instrumental portrayal.

Throw yourself into the fire of Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage's third studio album, 'Silver Bullet,' available on all digital streaming platforms.

Welcome to BuzzMusic, Wyatt Olney & The Wreckage. We're genuinely impressed with your thorough transitions, relatable concepts, and blazing soundscapes within your recent album 'Silver Bullet.' Did anything, in particular, inspire the making of this album?

Thanks for having us BuzzMusic! We appreciate it! It is interesting because initially, we really wanted to make an album that centered around mental illness and the struggles that many of us face. Songs that speak to those inner demons that we all work to maintain control of. As we approached the completion of the record, the pandemic began to rage, it almost felt like it transformed into an album about hope, perseverance, and unity. Supporting each other and loving each other as bandmates and brothers through the apocalypse really changed the energy that I hear when I listen to this body of work. When did you begin creating tracks for the album 'Silver Bullet?' How long was the entire album in the making? We began tracking the record in August of 2019. We finished tracking the final song in June of 2020. It really feels like a snapshot of a year in our lives, as the world drastically changed around us. We began creating this with so much hope and wind behind us, then we watched our entire industry crumble and the world stopped turning for a while there. That became even more fuel to create something profound and meaningful.

Who handled the songwriting for your album 'Silver Bullet?' Was this a collective process? How did your band narrow down the themes and concepts you wanted to deliver?

Typically, Wyatt will bring in a "skeleton" of a song that we all build upon it and twist into a sharper weapon. However, on this record, there were songs like "Allegory" and "Burn It Down" that was written on the spot in our rehearsal studio and completely found an organic vibe instantly. As far as the concepts and themes of the record, our goal was to deliver something brutally honest. Our previous album was such a cool, flashy album that we really wanted to write something painful, real, and almost uncomfortable. We wanted to find a place that we were scared to go and run as fast as we could into the darkness. We feel like we really captured that inner struggle on 'Silver Bullet.'

What was your collaborative process like when working with producer Don Gunn when creating 'Silver Bullet?'

Don Gunn is definitely the 5th member of this band. This is our 3rd album working with him and he just - gets us. He knew exactly where we were going and really helped bring out the fire in each of us. He helped us dial in a sound that felt very defiant against what is musically popular at the moment. The majority of modern rock albums have all the same program drum samples and autotune all over them. We wanted a record with 100% real drums, real amps, and real vocal imperfections. We wanted something that was in direct opposition with the overly-polished sound you hear on every record these days. Don was able to take that and run with it. We can't imagine making a record without him. How does your album 'Silver Bullet' represent your band and the themes you often deliver? How does the album give listeners a better idea of who you are? 'Silver Bullet' really felt like our chance to speak our souls. Making this record together really helped us grow as human beings. Several of us had just come out of some really dark patches of life and rather than hide the struggle and the suffering, we found that it would mean more to put it on display. We all struggle. We all fight to carry on at times when things feel hopeless. Maybe if we openly address it rather than putting some cheeky "Rock N Roll" veneer over it, the people who hear it can feel more understood and less alone. This is us, naked and embracing vulnerability, and we couldn't be prouder of it. What's next for you? Probably an extended stay in a fancy rehab center or something... **laughs** Honestly, we just want to continue spreading this art as far as it can possibly go. To keep creating a soundtrack for people's lives. To help people feel understood and identified within their darkest moments. We are blessed and lucky to do what we do and we are going to keep heading down this road until the pavement ends.