All Words by:
DFITZ “Trash Witch”
Released by: Self
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Psychedelic, Indie Rock
Links: https://wyntonexistingofficial.bandcamp.com/album/sexual-death
Line Up:
Wynton Huddle: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Sitar, Synth, Percussion
Gavin Gates: Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Willy Davis: Banjo for Scoundrel in Disguise
Shawn Bowen: Djuns, Goat Toenails, Doumbek, Djembe for Tom Tom Song
Tyrell Williams: Bass for Juicy Prevalence, Tomtom Song & Exodus
David Estes: Bass for Sexual Death
Tracklist:
1. Wings Of The Fly
2. Being
3. Sonic Innocence
4. Juicy Prevalence
5. Scoundrel In Disguise
6. Tom Tom Song
7. End Of Time
8. At Least Pretend You’re Happy To See Me
9. Exodus
10. Sexual Death
Just when we needed an album of summer bangers with a wild psych-rock feel the most, Wynton Existing has graced our ears with Sexual Death. 10 songs that feature howling vocals, feedback, and hooks so catchy you’ll wish you could sing them on karaoke night at your local dive bar.
One day soon.
He and his band are now currently on another heated tour in support of their newest full length psychedelic garage rock album Sexual Death after having just recently opened for Buckcherry at Hop Springs in Tennessee. One of their most recent tour stops was in Pennsylvania at a skatepark on the first of July, which is so sick and we wish we had been there.
They are set to play another banger of a gig on July 8th at The Eighth Room in Nashville, TN which is also guaranteed to be a party.
Another can’t-miss show is actually a can’t-miss festival, where Wynton Existing is featured on the All Hallow’s Fest lineup in NYC.
With grooves so fresh you get a rush from head banging, and hits like the album-titled journey of a track “Sexual Death”, as well as Wynton’s ode to existentialism as an artist “Being”- this release is a full on mind-body-spirit experience. “Exodus” features Wynton on a sitar he acquired from a local craftsman recommend to him by his sitar teacher Ashish Chatterchee.
Wynton’s work is inspired by 60s-70s psychedelic rock and jazz, 80s hardcore punk, and 90s grunge. Specific influences of his include but are not limited to early Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Gázor Szabó, Porcupine Tree, Beck, Thee Oh Sees, and The Butthole Surfers with quote on quote “a lot of weirdo stuff in between”.
Weirdo music is the best music, we’re here for that. Individualism is the best trait one can witness in the creation of sonic sounds.
His excellent taste shows in his work.
Sexual Death truly is a brilliant glimpse into the soul of an artist coming up in the times that we are in currently.
Wynton’s influences fuel the feel of his jams with passion, all of which are film-feature worthy.
Without further ado, let’s dive into a light track by track dissertation.
Track 1
“Wings Of The Fly”
All tracks released on all albums are put in order in specific ways for the best listening experience, there’s a science to the art. At least that’s how albums should be made, recorded to be listened to in full with no skips. Wynton has given us a brilliant intro to Sexual Death immediately greeting us with the sweet, sweet sound of feedback into an ever-so sultry “1, 2, 3, 4” before absolutely shredding our souls with riffs that make you wanna load up a cooler to go dance at the beach.
“Watch these mouths all moving at once
Trauma weighs on you by the ton
Tear off the wings of the fly
And watch me fall straight out of the sky”
There’s something to be said for musicians that are able to write a song with lyrics packed with angst, rage, and existential dread when the tone of the jam is punchy, danceable, and upbeat.
This jam is very Thee Oh Sees while still maintaining a unique sound, poetry and excellence in motion.
Track 2
“Being”
If it wasn’t already clear when you hit play, we’re in for nothing but hits. “Being” is absolutely radio-worthy in the sense that the radio waves need this song to grace it. With an intro that sounds like it belongs on Jimi Hendrix’s The Experience with moments that nod to Led Zeppelin and Incubus- Wynton Huddle gifted listeners with a humble anthem of pragmatic introspection as an artist in relation to the vast universe and it’s secrets we find in ourselves on our life journey every day.
“Life is by no artist
But the crashing of a comet
Tell me what they’re seeing
Seeing”
The stanza quoted above from “Being” screams of The Butthole Surfer’s iconic hit “Pepper” and their line “you never know just how you look through other people’s eyes”. What we see is excellence.
This jam allows us the entrance to said void and to see the light that hides within it, feeding our souls with passion and surf-vibes. “Being” is written in a way that addresses both the metaphysical and physical aspects of feeling in relation to the crushing stresses of society as a creative.
Two tracks in we are fully looking forward to vinyl and cassette releases of Sexual Death. This jam and the rest of the album deserve to be heard in both formats. Both formats are forever objectively best for one’s listening pleasure, and “Sexual Death” is a crucial must-have for one’s physical media collection.
Track 3
“Sonic Innocence”
A psych-surf-rock track that somehow screams Ty Segall and Incubus at the same time with new breathe, “Sonic Innocence” is a jam that flirts and entices lovers of the past while kicking it back at the beach.
“A solid truce
That we both break
I just want the love
That you once gave”
One listen and you’re sure to call your ex talking about the good times. We recommend not calling your ex, but definitely crank this jam up to max volume while you’re cruising four-wheel-drive through the sand and salty air.
Throughout the entirety of Sexual Death, Wynton Huddle delivers insanely powerful guitar solos. Attention to detail is key, and tone is crucial. Sexual Death shows us the craft of such, and it was all done with a Gibson SG and an Ibanez Art100.
“I use the Gibson SG for the standard tuning songs (Being, Sonic Innocence, TomTom Song, End of Time, At Least Pretend) and the Ibanez for the lower D standard tuning songs (Wings of the Fly, Juicy Prevalence, Exodus, Sexual Death.”
– Wynton Huddle when asked on what guitars he used to record Sexual Death what guitars he plays while performing live.
Track 4
“Juicy Prevalence”
We’re diving into nearing the middle of “Sexual Death”, and it absolutely has been juicy. Like a bite of the sweetest, ripest, juiciest peach at the tail end of summer “Juicy Prevalence” is so fresh. Absolutely a radio-necessity, and radios: we’re looking at you to deliver.
“You’ll meet me down in the dirt
Forever we lay”
With the hot end of that line delivered in a scream, Wynton Huddle rips it heavy coming in hot as sin with that Ibanez. That break is so sick, it’ll leave you screaming out and wanting more.
Sometimes less is more, sometimes more is less. Songs will be five minutes when they should be three. Sometimes songs are three minutes and you wished they were thirty. Here we have an example of a song of the latter nature. Thankfully we get blessed later on with album-titled track Sexual Death at 11 minutes and 11 seconds, more on that later.
Tyrell Williams is featured on bass for “Juicy Prevalence”, as well as “Tom Tom Song” and “Exodus”. His work on this track is the definition of what laying down solid bass is meant to sound like.
“Juicy Prevalence” is a summer gothic romance through and through, we have been served a tasty jam.
This song is perfectly composed, and is sure to be on repeat after it graces your ears.
Enough said.
Track 5
“Scoundrel in Disguise”
Dancing in the middle of the road on the Wynton Existing journey, is a rad change of pace with massive folk-punk influence. “Scoundrel in Disguise” sounds like running around in a field with your friends near the train tracks.
Will Davis of the band Wiley is featured on banjo, shredding it up like Sunday morning, and gives “Scoundrel in Disguise” a full sound making this song yet another beautiful composition on an album full of nothing but gold.
“It’s like a creature crawled onto my back
And told me all these dirty deeds
Wish that I could apologize
For what that devil did to me”
If you told me this song was in a Wes Anderson film, I’d believe you.
Track 6
“Tom Tom Song”
Drummer Gavin Gates tears it up with fierce precision live and throughout the entirety of Sexual Death. His fills are delivered with impeccable precision and technicality. “Tom Tom Song” absolutely highlights his talent, but then again the same can be arguably be said about every other track on Sexual Death. The argument being, can this guy possibly shred harder than he already does? We would love to find out, and are excited for such.
Gates delivers nothing but heat, and is without a doubt a drummer to keep an eye on.
“Why can’t I just shut up?
Close my eyes, wake me up”
Wynton Huddle gave us a gift of a song, screaming passionately while soulfully begging for grace with mercy in the form of prose with a kiss to the mind. We opened our third eye and were met with the manifestation of such stated previously in a sheer psychedelic noise-rock brilliance experience.
Shawn Bowen is featured playing djun, dounbek, and djembe drums. Not only does he manifest brilliance with the variety of hand drums he plays chosen for this track, he also incorporates the sound of goat toenails.
The many layers Wynton Existing incorporates paints a full sound and an intriguing listening experience directly reflecting a passion for creation, and the result is having created work that lasts.
“Tom Tom” song is absolutely a bop we’d recommend in regards to songs that define Wynton Existing’s signature sound- a beautiful sick cacophony of layers and sounds, noise, and gifts of feedback with artistic feeling.
Brilliant.
Track 7
“End of Time”
This track is probably the best take of the classic pick up line-
- “Did it hurt?”
- “Did what hurt?”
- “When you feel from heaven?”
-that has ever been articulated.
“She fell from the sky and hit the dirt
It got in my eye
She came here to see the end of the world
I was ready to fly, I’ve earned my wings
And willing to die
She convinced me to stay
a couple more days”
“End of Time” has a sexy, sweet, and quirky feel and gives the vibe of that melancholy feeling that time is non-existent. When you are in the company of someone that vibrates on the same frequency as you, and longing for those times for eternity. It gets you melting into infinity, with heavy fuzz. Not to mention, the resolution of bird’s chirping and wind chimes was a delight.
Track 8
“At Least Pretend You’re Happy To See Me”
Gnarly feedback screeching to the sun shines brightly over a recording of a retro-classic deep voiced individual announcing graciously:
“Thank you to all those that have been so kind to helping us feel special in our journey”
With which Wynton Huddle claps back matter-of-fact with:
Who the hell am I to you?
Some dumb figure you screwed
Funny how fame falls into shame
So fast
I ain’t coming back
Help me seek out the truth
All my secrets in you
Well rumor has it you might get bit
No dog would lick your boot
The drums are punchy and the riffage is spicy yet again. Wynton crafted yet another earworm. I was left wanting more.
Track 9
“Exodus”
As our journey to the end of Wynton Existing’s newest release approaches us, “Exodus” takes us to new horizons with funky sleazy riffs on acid.
No doubt, “Exodus” takes us on a trek through the senses, full-on and in your face. Two minutes in, Wynton shreds our souls with a stellar solo on that Ibanez and that’ll put you in a trance.
Exodus
Satan’s son
Tyrell Williams rips it hard on bass for this track, and truly carried “Exodus” to a fuller sound.
“I think “Exodus” is the song that helped Gavin (my drummer/engineer) and I find our style and sound. Definitely one of my favorites to play live, however we both agree it is one of the weakest tracks on the album. We love the song, dont get me wrong, but it’s execution was so early into it’s development, and I think if it had more of a live band execution it would have pulled off much better. I think some day we will get a high quality live take that will blow the studio track out of the water.
There isn’t much lyrics to the song, but what is said is saying a lot, in my opinion.”
–Wynton Huddle on being asked for commentary on “Exodus”
Track 10
“Sexual Death”
Album titled track “Sexual Death” graces us with 11 minutes and 11 seconds, signifying being on the right track and embracing new changes if you’re into numerology. This title track is by far nothing short of absolute magic. The introduction invites one in with a cinematic noise experience of an opening sounding like making contact with the creatures in M. Night Shamalan’s Signs. It then commences to the imminent allusion of the climax, while emitting total and absolute sensuality in the form of a trance. It pushes your very corporeal form through the doorway into infinity, where one seeks to find full release.
Wynton Huddle then growls into a righteous scream. His tone enticing ego death and merging you with the experience.
“The humans are fucked
By the bullet of a gun
Rotten flesh we’re fed
Just shoot it in the head
Burning through my tongue
Smoke, it fills my lungs
I beckon on my knees
The sweetest last release
The red, it turns black
A thousand heart-attacks
Broken and tired
Just set it on fire”
Wynton’s prose is potent anarchism delivered with grace, sweet deliverance.
He screams truth in regards to the flaws of society, and decorates his eloquence with sonic sounds of rebellion.
His sound on this track feels like a sick merge of Jimi Hendrix’s sound with that of Mastodon’s Leviathan, and it works phenomenally.
All in all, this album is a journey. The destination is listening to Sexual Death in full a second and third time back-to-back.
Lyrically, Wynton Huddle cooks one hell of a song. His response was fantastic when asked on where inspiration is derived from while penning lyrics.
“If I have trouble finishing a song or poem, I find it’s because I haven’t lived through it yet, so I set it aside until the moment finally strikes me. Sometimes that moment is 10 minutes later, sometimes 2 years, the longest it took to find the moment and finish a song was 15 years.”
The key to great work is taking time. With time comes brilliance, and Sexual Death is the epitome of brilliance articulated in both a digital and physical format for our listening pleasure.
Wynton Huddle began recording in the confines of his home during the 2020 Quarantine. He took to his boiler room and sweet noise was made. His first single ‘My Spit Your Face’ is a raw Garage Punk song, with howling aggressive vocals that he slapped back through a 5 dollar delay pedal, sung through a microphone that came free with a 30 dollar mic stand. When you know what you’re doing, that’s all you need. It’s not about top of the line gear, it’s about passion and knowing how to play what you have. Easily, Wynton Huddle could make any guitar sing with any set-up and it would sound fantastic. His Gibson SG and Ibanez Art100 sing praises to the universe on his newest release.
Following the “My Spit Your Face” single release, that single taking the riff from X’s “Los Angeles” to a new height, Wicked Fabrications came into fruition on 10/30/2020.
In June 2021 he released ‘A Thought Has Crossed My Mind’, an album he had recorded fresh out of high school 10 years prior- that he had previously only shared with his friends in 2011. A album featuring a very at home recording feel, heavy on vocal harmonies and sitar. Which leads us back to this current moment in time, where he and Gavin Gates are making waves in the Nashville scene and surrounding scenes that shred in a theater near you.
We look forward to experiencing the journey furthermore with future releases.
“These sessions were short spontaneous bursts that included taking turns lying in an ice bath to pick up authentic shivers and moans, recording and warping cellphone audio through a guitar pickup, throwing eating utensils (that we still use) at a dirty grate and other weird odds and ends to create the sound we envisioned.
There is a lot of great songs to chew on and if it weren’t for working on this album, I don’t know where I would be today. I think in many ways this album saved me, reminded me to keep going, keep trying. Nobody needs to suffer alone”
-Wynton Huddle on the recording of “Sexual Death”
Sexual Death is fresh and has a timeless feel. It’s a gift for the senses.
It provides what you need.
Score: 9/10
Reviewed by: DFITZ “Trash Witch”
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