Aiden frontman's side project
There came a point in time when Aiden's guitarist/vocalist Wil Francis felt his screamo band outlet just wasn't doing the job. There was another side he needed to express but couldn't do it through Aiden for fear of alienating fans so he dreamed up William Control, an alter ego band that performed electronic influenced music. The first album, Hate Culture, seemed to go over well with fans, new and old, so Francis felt it was time to deliver a new album, darker and wackier than the first. Let it be known that William Control features very little resemblance at all to Aiden. While some side projects such as Ivan Moody's collaborations with Motogrator and Five Finger Death Punch can be easily recognizable without even knowing who is in the band (mostly due to vocal work and similar focus on crushing guitars), William Control and Aiden are two separate entities.
Noir is mostly full of random electronic blips, some guitars, and amongst Wil Francis's anguished vocals lots of samples and clips from different kinds of media. The opening track, "Une Announce," features some creepy haunting droning and a clip of what sounds like something from the crime-torture film series Saw. It is a perfect opening, but sadly a one of a kind on the album. Most of the tracks feature a lot more instrumentation that actually drown out the vocals/clips. "All Due Restraint" features some electronic clinkings like that of a xylophone over Aiden's vocals with some keyboard, backing beats, and drums. His voice sounds a bit more operatic than it does on Aiden, and mixed with the music sounds like an interesting techno brand. Other tracks are more electronica influenced than the others such as "Dorian Gray" which sounds like it came from a KFMDM album; chock full of beats, harsh crackling distortion, and a mix of electronically enhanced vocals.
Some tracks aren't even electronic, though. There's the sole guitar driven "Can't Help Falling in Love" which is another surprise from Francis, especially with the backing vocals. It doesn't fit with the rest of the music, but since Noir is a place to experiment, it is perfectly acceptable. "Soliloquy" is similar, but feels a bit more upbeat and less depressing. "Ultrasound" is a great electronic foot stomper, and even though it doesn't offer Francis's best vocal performance, the wild beat formula is more than entertaining enough. That duty is left up to the title track, which again turns fans on their heads because it is not electronica or guitar driven. Instead, Francis sings over a piano, offering some of the most haunting and emotional work he's done yet in the entire William Control career. Finally, "Epilogue" is a very quiet track, featuring some warbling synth piano and a very brief sampling before going into silence for some time. One would think the track is over, and suddenly a frantic electronic beat starts up and Francis begins to croon away again. It's a bit of a random note to end on, but at least it doesn't leave the listeners feeling cheated.
Noir is a wild ride, and not just because some tracks sound as frantic as an Infected Mushroom album. Some tracks jerk you around and then others are just slow, smooth, and easy. Either way, all are a new side of Aiden's frontman, and it is understandable how they would never fit with Aiden's style. Fans would probably drop their jaws and ask WTF! However, as a separate band, William Control is pretty darn awesome. Not a bad choice for Wil Francis to express himself in the most interesting way possible.
(Victory Records/Stomp Distribution)
