Local Review: Weyward – Uncult

Weyward
Uncult
Self-Released
Street: 02.18.2025
Weyward = Boy Harsher + Grizz + The Cure

When it comes to darkwave music, there’s a lot to consume; from subgenres like industrial and electronic pop to cold and ethereal wave music. The band Weyward has a little bit of everything enveloped in their five-track EP, Uncult. In this short and unshy track collection, Weyward weaponizes common themes of the genre, such as heavy synthesizers and driving basslines, to parade their deeply emotional lyrics, narrating a story of “unbecoming” through the artist’s personal escape from the cult-like control of the Mormon Church.

For goths and wavers who are deeply passionate about what exactly “real darkwave music” actually is, Weyward just might stop you in your tracks and redefine the genre for you. In a total run time of 20 minutes, Uncult steps into several subgenres of darkwave music, meaning no matter your preferences, this EP has something for everyone. In my first listen through, I found myself double-checking my Spotify several times to verify I was still, in fact, listening to the same artist with each new song that would play.
I found it quite impressive to see such varying sounds so well composed and equally matching the weight of the lyrics in every track. Through the stoic one-word song titles, the ethereal musical choices, and the suspenseful narratives, they carefully plant a deeply emotional message and an equally haunting sound to match each track. 

Outside of iconic music artists like The Cure, I personally don’t care for heavy rock music implications in the dark wave music genre, making it a little hard for me to stomach the first track on the album aptly titled “Opening.” Regardless, I enjoyed the well-matched storytelling aspect of sustained, demonstrative electric guitar chords married with lyrical yearning in the chorus. To enjoy this EP for its narratives, it’s important to understand the message in this opening track, which describes a devout believer in the throes of blind faith.

The lyrics driving the heart and soul of this song are framed in the chorus, exclaiming, “And now I taste this blood / and now I take my heart / and now I know / that this is the only truth.” Supported by the angry bassline and synth sounds, the chorus shows the artist begging themself to continue sacrificing their better judgment for the sake of salvation, saying, “I give it all to be on high.” The album as a whole represents a deconstruction of indoctrination, and “Opening” effectively explains just how far the artist has “fallen from grace” by acting as a starting point of religious deprogramming. 

Continuing with the epic storyline, the following four tracks on the Uncult EP use popular darkwave sound characteristics to explore the depths of self-reflection and internal conflict. In the collaborative track “Shelved” featuring the artist Ruin The Mind, this starring musician uses throaty and gruff vocal techniques to deliver lyrics instructing the listener to “shelve” their doubts, while Weyward’s vocalist replies, “What happens when the shelf is full?” The slightly disjointed sounds and minor chords throughout this track mirror artists like Grizz, who also uses dueling sound textures to create unsettling, emotional messages in his music.

Folding in nature sound bites and a mix of classical instruments in the final half of this EP, Weyward brings a somber and melancholy end to this musical journey. Staying true to what I would consider classic darkwave synth music, the tracks “Ruin” and “Released” caught me by surprise with their techno percussion and floaty melodies, reminding me of more ethereal darkwave artists like Boy Harsher. 

What I loved most about this album is the theme of deconstructing religious dogma and Weyward’s musical and lyrical skill in telling a chronological story that religiously-traumatized listeners like me can absolutely relate to. Ending the album with true and familiar darkwave sounds feels like an epic return home to oneself after a long stint of discomfort, making it easy to place this EP on a loop just to feel the musical journey all over again. —Ness O’Lowry

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