It's not often that I'm genuinely speechless when I first hear a band, I'm rarely surprised enough to be rendered speechless, however in the respect of Alpha Wolf this is absolutely the case! And I've never been so scared and excited all at the same time.
Mono is the debut album from Melbourne based Alpha Wolf. Now admittedly, I stumbled upon them by complete accident, roughly a month or so after Mono's July 14th release. Did that stop the impact? No. No it didn't. I challenge anyone to listen to this without contorting your best bass face and swinging your neck away.
The Aussie newcomers intense mix of deathcore and hardcore elements, along with drips of nu-metal create a beautifully dissonant sound that wouldn't go amiss in some sort of horror/thriller. And it's within this, the tone and sound of the band that has me both scared and excited. The music is very literally scary, it has to be admitted. The screeching atmospherics in Failvre are a perfect example of this but in particular you have to take the single Golden Fate; Water Break as the prime example of what Alpha Wolf want to say about themselves. GF;WB left me dazed for all of about 20 seconds before the grooves set in and my feet started a midair two step.
I've spoken to a number of people recently about the declining state of songwriting within the metal genres of late, with bands using cliches and routine actions to write music (not to name names, yet). Alpha Wolf are the opposite, I haven't felt so satisfied after listening to a record to see that in every place I expected something, I was surprised. And that's what you should want!! You don't want to be presented with the same lack-lustre breakdowns that were only semi-impressive in 2004, I want to be surprised, alienated, scared, excited! And most of all I want music that invigorates me and stirs an emotion that isn't simply boredom. For this, there is only: Mono.
Invoking a sense of fear and dread? Success
Aussie invoked terror: 7/10
Top picks: Golden Fate;Water Break, Promise Stays, Mono
Mono was released 14th July 2017 via Greyscale Records:
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