Death Wolf
Death Wolf
Rating
Style: Death Punk / Thrash Metal
Release date: 27 May, 2011
Playing time: 40:23
 

This one kicks off very abruptly. No build-up, no intro, not anything, but raw aggression – and I love it!

The outfit behind Devil’s Whorehouse started out as a sort of Misfits-inspired band, although a lot heavier than the source. During two Eps and two full-length albums their style has become even heavier, darker and more thrashy. Now they call themselves Death Wolf, and so far no line-up changes has occurred.

So, what is Death Wolf? It’s a wild mixture of Death Punk, Thrash and Doom. Most of Whorehouse’s Horror Punk-influences are gone, as are the Black ’n’ Roll groove. This is something new – darker, more sinister and far more aggressive.

As mentioned above, the self-titled album just starts pounding away on your skull, with no warning. As the 12 tracks progresses Death Wolf slowly, but steadily adds new genre fragments, experiments with different tempi and experiences some severe mood swings. I especially like the way the funeral procession-slow song Ironwood fades into silence – and how that silence is unceremoniously broken by the monumental metal/punk hybrid Sword and Flame.

Generally this album is a real treat, though it is hard to pinpoint exactly why. I’ve tried not to compare it too much with the old Devil’s Whorehouse stuff – of which I am a great fan – but I’ve probably not succeeded very well. The old stuff has more memorable single songs, but Death Wolf has made an album; as in ”a complete self-contained album”. In these days that is rare, and reason enough to get your hands on it.


Tracklist

01. Circle of Abomination
02. Weaving Death
03. The Other Hell
04. Morning Czar Shineth
05. Ironwood
06. Sword and Flame
07. Wolfs Pallid Sister
08. Ramsvart
09. Unto Dying Eyes
10. Black Mark
11. Coming Forth by Night
12. Dawn of Flesh

Label: Regain Records
Distribution: Target (Denmark)
Reviewed by: Martin Schjönning
Date: 2 May, 2011
Website: www.deathwolf.net