New offensive for Werewolves.
Formed in 2019, the Australian band comprising Sam Bean (vocals/bass, Faustian, The Berzerker), Matt Wilcock (guitar, Abramelin, The Berzerker, The Antichrist Imperium, ex-Akercocke) and David Haley (drums, Abramelin, Consummation, Faustian, Psycroptic, The Amenta, Ruins…) are already releasing their fifth album, Die For Us.
Die For Us’ introductory sample barely has time to warn us before the band attacks at full speed. Blasts, sharp riffs and growls combine to create a burst of devastating violence before slowing down to morph into stunned heaviness before the band follow up with Beaten Back to Life, where their rage doesn’t waver. A touch of complexity and darkness in certain passages completes the savagery, joining Fuck You Got Mine, where we savor those few seconds of respite before being trampled by the cutting riffs. The composition’s natural oppression is noted, and the vocal alternation is particularly effective. Then the band welcomes Rok (Rok, ex-Sadistik Exekution) to give My Hate Is Strong an even more vicious and abrasive touch, while relying on solid moshparts that will take on even greater scope live. The band injects some Thrash influences on The Company of Wolves to reinforce the unhealthy, virulent Black/Death roots deployed from the very first second, and two short pauses are provided in the outpouring before setting off again on a Crust rhythm for Spittle-Flecked Rant. The mix works very well in the composition, which changes to adopt more technical moments, then a sampled voice opens the door to We All Deserve to Be Slaves, where the fury immediately resumes to molest us as it should throughout the track. Dissonance takes over with Under a Urinal Moon, easily creating a constant suffocating atmosphere and enveloping us in its abyssal darkness of accelerations, before giving way to Stay Down, the last composition, which doesn’t shy away from returning to its impetuosity before offering us a few more moderate parts.
Werewolves has never known anything but violence, and the band is not about to let go. Even at its most oppressive, Die For Us is a hymn to rage and rampage.
90/100
