Scott “Wino” Weinrich Create or Die
Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich’s fourth solo album, Create or Die, drops this Friday October 24th via Ripple Music. If you happened to have caught his 2020 release Forever Gone, which I reviewed here: (https://americanahighways.org/2020/06/24/review-scott-wino-weinrich-strips-away-the-doom-and-bridges-genres-on-forever-gone ) or his previous albums with Conny Ochs, you know Wino can step away from the heavy riffs he’s so known for, and ease into something closer to a road-worn storyteller’s craft. With Create or Die, he’s back, this time blending acoustic introspection with electric grit in a way that builds on the foundations of roots music, but certainly isn’t confined by any genre. Think dusty folk tales with a heavy pulse. It’s personal, direct, and carries the weight of a man who’s seen the edge and kept right on walking, consequences be damned.
Create or Die spans 10 tracks across 45 minutes. The title was born from a friend’s letter urging Wino to “create or die.” What began as an acoustic project grew into something broader, with contributions from Obsessed bandmates Jason Taylor, Brian White,and Brian Costantino, plus daughter Alexandra Weinrich on backing vocals. The album shifts between raw resolve, vulnerability and gallant defiance as it’s songs explore tales of loss, regret, and that stubborn spark that refuses to flicker out. “Anhedonia” opens the album with a somber strum, setting a heavy mood, while “Never Said Goodbye” hits full on with the ache of loss. Yet Wino doesn’t linger in despair for long. Songs like “Hopeful Defiance” and “Noble Man” push back with more than just a spark of tenacity. It’s more a refusal to let the fall define the stand. As he rasps in “Hopeful Defiance,” it’s less about triumph, and more about the bloody-knuckled insistence on trying again.
Beyond the lyrical merits, what really grabbed me after listening to this dozens of times now is the alchemy in the production, courtesy of Franck Marchand and Wino himself, and expert mastering by Alan Douches. It’s got that intimate hush of a late-night demo session, but then, impetuous layers of electric bite crash in, turning whispers into roars without ever losing its humbler origins. The album balances intimate acoustic moments with bursts of electric energy masterfully. The guitar work moves from clean, open chords to thicker, driven riffs, all wrapped in a warm, analog sound and a guitar tone that most of us are still searching for.
But under all the electric bite, these really are songs with an acoustic heart. “New Terms,” the lead single, mixes a bodhrán beat with folk roots, and features Fergal Scahill, and Enda Scahill of the band We Banjo Three, while “Carolina Fox” creeps along with a bluesy, fingerpicked feel. “Bury Me in Texas” carries a worn-out traveler’s regret, grounded but poignant. Lyrically, Wino keeps it honest, and with no fluff to be found. One of my favorite tracks “Us or Them” roars with a Neil Young & Crazy Horse ferocity that feel like a decisively firm line in the sand. “Cold or Wrong” and “Lost Souls Fly” both have prophetic tones, each restless spirit as well as a phoenix on the rise. It’s here that Wino’s voice is the star over his guitar, rough and lived-in, it carries the stories of the roads traveled, loves and friends lost, and life lessons hard-earned. I found these two songs echoing the searching themes of Forever Gone but with a keener edge. This is the real deal y’all.
Urging creation over surrender, Create or Die crosses genre boundaries boldly. With a folk and blues heart, metal-fused spine, and a bard’s wit, it’ll hook the Americana crowd with its storytelling soul and pull in the riff-chasers craving that signature Wino sound. Basically it’s for anyone who craves a good story or a raw riff. Whether you’re chasing Americana’s soul or doom’s heft, Wino has you covered with Create or Die. It’s the sound of Wino creating, and that’s far better than the alternative.
Visit all of Wino’s endeavors here: https://linktr.ee/scottwino
You can order your own copy of the album there, as well as on Bandcamp. It can also be found at Ripple Music’s online shop right here: https://ripple-music.com
