Back in 2014, we ran a feature about Connecticut’s Warm, a band with an intoxicating mix of sounds from metal, to sludge, to post-rock. In the years since, the band has continued to play live and record, culminating in their album The Human Exemplar, which they are releasing independently on June 17.
I caught up with frontman Mike Taylor, who told me a little bit about the album:
The Human Exemplar as a whole tells the story of someone who overestimates his knowledge of right and wrong. The main character sees clearly the immorality and thoughtlessness of people around him and is certain he knows how to live better. He gets progressively more frustrated with how people around him are behaving and his delusions of moral superiority lead him eventually to act out violently. He suffers terribly when he realizes what he’s done, and he sees he has become what he used to criticize. He’s no better than the people he thought were so ignorant and lousy.
The goal was to set this narrative on a backdrop that was at times abstract, emotionally intense, thoughtfully composed, engaging rock and roll.
That last sentence is a perfect description of Warm's sound overall, thoughtful and progressive music that maintains a punishing energy that keeps it in metal's orbit. Stream “A Pale Criminal” below and hear for yourself. For fans of Intronaut, Mastodon and Helms Alee, Warm should be high on the priority list of bands to get into. They even have a mini-tour coming up with Moon Tooth (nice!) so check that out if you want to be up-to-date with some of the freshest sounds emerging in metal.
