Of Wolves - Balance


Chicago’s punky noise rock outfit Of Wolves’ new album Balance drops tomorrow! (4/7/20). Following up to 2013’s Resolve, the band have refined their sound and infused more anger into their songwriting. “Metal + Punk + Hardcore/Crossover + Sludge Stoner/Doom + Grind = Therapy”, to take it from the horse’s mouth. So as pubs prepare to reopen in the UK, the trio provide a wonderfully dissonant soundtrack for getting drunk and angry at the elite.


Lead single and opening track ‘Mens Rea (Izaguf)’ slaps, and wouldn’t be misplaced on a copyright-ambiguous skateboarding video game franchise. ‘Maker’ violently grooves it’s way into your ears. The seventeen second long ‘Flavour of the Week’ is more of a mantra set to heavy music, but it is straight to the point. The first four songs of this record (the only one not mentioned previously being 'Jesus Jihad') touch upon a tried and tested sludge sound, with equal measures of nasty punk and thumping stoner metal. It's nothing new, but that's not a bad thing by any stretch. 


Title track ‘Balance’ takes a step back from the unrelenting punk metal aggression of the previous tracks, allowing the production of the record to shine through. Clarity, saturation, and dirt, equally balanced, fit for purpose. Sure I can hear the cymbals distorting and the compressors working: that’s the point. The record is unashamedly raw, and anything more would move it into the dreaded territory of being overproduced. That said, the track manages to incorporate ambient guitar layers and feedback, a cello (I think), in a wonderful washy texture that many hope to achieve nowadays: Of Wolves nailed it. 


‘Clear Cutting Bloodshed Heart to Hand’ begins with a handful of riffs that are perhaps the least creative on the record and feel somewhat disjointed, as though they were simply put together in order to continue on from the previous. However, these quickly give way to a psych-rock slow jam that again showcases the uncompromising production of the record, with fluffed guitar parts serving to enhance the honesty of the record as a whole. Throw in some extended guitar techniques, and a wicked drum groove, and you’ve got a corker of a song. I believe if the first two and a half minutes of this track were either cut, or worked into an aggressive outro, the song could’ve been the album stand out it was destined to be.


‘Inside’ is about a minute of blast-beat driven grind combined with electronic effects, as if Napalm Death asked Sid Wilson to join the band, and then two minutes of feedback and a spoken word sample. Problem is that the sample is heavily altered so I can’t tell what is being said. It could be really cutting, but it isn't. ‘Die Die’ is a cover of the Misfits’ classic ‘Die Die My Darling,’ with Of Wolves giving the first few verses the stoner doom treatment before tipping their hat to the punk origin of the tune. Personally I wouldn’t choose to end an album with a cover.


Touching upon the band’s claim of their genre blends equalling therapy, the performances of each member portray a real desire to connect with the audience. The cathartic release that this music serves for these musicians is loud and clear. Balance is a ferocious record that sees Of Wolves developing their sound and focussing their aggression. I believe there is still fat to be trimmed, but it only detracts when put under the microscope. Overall, a brave record where the risk proves worth the reward.


FFO: Melvins, Red Fang, Whores, Mondo Generator


Bandcamp: https://ofwolves.bandcamp.com/album/balance-2


YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUeuFfi_7jY


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ofWOLVES/



JC

Comments

  1. SteveOFWOLVES3 July 2020 at 19:45

    Great review... very honest and lots of insight. Thank you ��

    ReplyDelete

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