Release
date: July
4th
2020.
Label: Trepanation Recordings. Format: Cassette/CD/DD
Balance
– Tracklisting
1.MENS
REA (IZAGUF)
2.JESUS
JIHAD
3.MAKER
4.FLAVOR
OF THE WEAK
5.BALANCE
6.CLEAR
CUTTING/BLOODSHED/HEART TO HAND
7.KILLING
SPREE
8.INSIDE
(Steve's Head)
9.DIE,
DIE (My Darling)
Members
Steve,
Ivan & Eric
Review
OF
WOLVES finally release their second full length album with Balance.
Almost 7 years after they released their acclaimed debut release –
EVOLVE. OF WOLVES forge heavy grooves with a deep social awareness to
their music. The band don’t classify themselves as a Political Band
but see their songs as being about humanity and empathy rather than
politics. However, the band do employ deeply political themes to this
album and their music in general.
OF
WOLVES play a blend of Sludge Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, Crust
Punk, Hardcore, Psychedelic and Noise Rock. So there is a lot of
different manic and vibrant aggressive energy throughout Balance and
the music can be quite claustrophobic in places. However, this is
never dull but one that sees the band create some of the most
challenging album you’ll likely hear this year.
The
band are influenced by High On Fire, GOJIRA and The Melvins but OF
WOLVES still play their own style of music that pulls no punches
especially where
Steve’s vocals and edgy lyrics are concerned. The majority of the
songs have a stop-start approach with OF WOLVES playing a more
scattered/gun-fire style of music. This works amazingly well for the
first few
excellent
songs of: MENS REA (IZAGUF), JESUS
HEAD and MAKER – which sees OF WOLVES quite comfortable at making
the listener feel quite uncomfortable with the different ideas on
these songs.
The
Crust Punk vibe allows OF WOLVES to be quite forward thinking with
their lyrical content and even lay down fantastic sounding
Sludge/Stoner Metal riffs. There is a deeply glorious REBELLIOUS
attitude that OF WOLVES just thrive upon and the overall darkness of
the album is quite catchy in places. The sound of the album may seem
too LO-FI in places but that’s OF WOLVES overall style. What You
Hear Is What You Get with the band and they make no apologies for
delivering this style of NO HOLDS BARRED music.
Balance
becomes a much better album when the band start adding different
sounds and effects. They feel like they left their own creative
comfort zone on this album especially with the title track. The song
is purely an Apocalyptic style of Psychedelic Metal and Post-Punk
combining for the albums standout track.
The
second half of the album is “Where The Magic Happens” with OF
WOLVES creating some of the heaviest and weirdest styles of music on
the album. The one-two combination of BALANCE and CLEAR
CUTTING/BLOODSHED/HEART TO HAND offers 16 minutes of top-notch
aggressive musical weirdness with deeply troubling socially aware
lyrics making you think what’s currently happening with the world.
OF
WOLVES have even managed to find the time to do a stunning cover of
Misfits seminal classic song – DIE DIE, MY DARLING. The song is a
cool cover with OF WOLVES making it sound more aggressive and
slightly more modern compared to the original.
Balance
may take a few listens to fully understand and that’s down to the
many deep political themes of the album and perhaps the different
styles of music that OF WOLVES play on the record. Though, that
doesn’t stop Balance being a deeply emotional and intelligent album
that will surprise you in many different ways.
I
hope we don’t have to wait for another 7 years for the next OF
WOLVES release. As these guys are genuine Rock & Roll Poets and I
want to hear more from this truly incredible band.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Trepanation Recordings for
the promo. Balance will be available to buy on Cassette/CD/DD via
Trepanation Recordings from July 4th
2020.
Links:
