Introducing Wrestlerish

Wrestlerish

Words by Brendan Monteiro

In today’s vibrant music scene there is a vast selection of bands that offer that ‘breath of fresh air’ that music lovers endlessly search for.  The search for something new can sometimes become quite arduous, but every now and again you stumble across a gem so astonishing that it makes it worth all the grueling effort of finding.  Hailing from South Africa; a country infamous for gun crime, apartheid and an especially hard music industry to crack, would of only made the search for this four piece all the more harder.  But funny enough there was no effort in finding Wrestlerish for me, it was merely handed to me with the hint that it was brilliant.  And brilliant it is!

Wrestlerish is the invention of singer/songwriter Werner Olckers.  After many years at the helm of an acclaimed band Olckers decided on starting a project of his own and began writing stripped down acoustic songs and soon enough Wrestlerish was born, and with the birth came the first effort in the form of The Jackal EP.  Wrestlerish, which is now completed by Jacques Du Plessis(Keyboard), Ricky Joaquim(drums) and David Grevler(Bass), are like nothing I have ever heard before.  First thing to grab my attention is Olckers voice, never have I heard a man sound so captivating, so beautiful and at the same time so timid.  His voice filters through the speakers on my first listen and seems to make everything around me tranquil.  The second thing is his profound lyrics, my favourite is on ‘Odds And Ends To End‘ where he uses harsh and violent imagery, yet encompasses it in a way to come out somewhat alluring “It’s a blow to the face but this isn’t an argument, it’s a knife in the back, it’s the only way he can vent”.  Lastly but certainly not least is the actual music.  The acoustic guitars gives it a distinct raw folk feel, coupled with the actual emotions the sounds emit is just something else.  These three factors make for a stellar combination that so many bands today lack and as the final cadences of ‘Haunting An Empty House’ echo out on my stereo I’m left fumbling to start it all over again.

To sum it all up, I think that wrestlerish are truly passionate about their music and that definitely comes through in their songs.  They write songs from the heart and if you have any heartstring in your body they will find them and tug away, so be prepared!  Wrestlerish is like a sonic epiphany the world has been gagging for so get out there and discover them.

In April Wrestlerish started work on their debut album, but for now check out ‘the Jackal EP’ available for FREE at: www.reverbnation.com/wrestlerish

www.myspace.com/wrestlerish

Posted on Thursday, 16 July 2009 in Introducing, Mainarticles | 2 Comments »
Tagged as David Grevler, Jacques Du Plessis, Ricky Joaquim, The Jackal EP, Werner Olckers, Wrestlerish