Late Love
Prosphetic Records
Even though they are barely over a year old, Norway’s Wolves Like Us show maturity far beyond their years in their debut release Late Love; a feat perhaps owing to the members’ previous experience in notable Norwegian acts such as Amulet and JR Ewing. There is undoubtedly high quality of song writing throughout and the album is very concise, playing out at just the right tempo throughout and never outstaying its welcome.
Purpose driven drums and utterly relentless riffs give the perfect backdrop to vocalist Lars Kristensen’s empowered baritone, from album opener (and one of the biggest highlights) ‘Burns Like A Paper Rose’ all the way through to haunting closing track ‘To Whore With Foreign Gods’. This is certainly an album that justifies the opportunities that this relatively new band have been handed, for example, touring with bands such as Klavertak and Gallows.
It isn’t just typical hardcore conventions on show here though either; this is a band that know their instruments well and the aforementioned brutality is often accompanied by delicately intricate lead lines and atmospheric arpeggios, most notably on ‘Secret Handshakes’ and ‘Deathless’.
There isn’t a dull moment to be had, especially with some great variation displayed from full on pit inducing bridges to some excellent melodic sections (‘Sin after Sin’ being one of the best examples of this) and an extremely solid rhythm section throughout. It’s an overused cliché, perhaps, but this album truly is all killer, no filler.
Late Love has been released on Prosthetic Records who have also put out the similarly remarkable Darker Handcraft by Trap Them this year. You can be sure that this won’t be the last you hear of Wolves Like Us with two European tours upcoming in 2011 (one of these with US legends Swing Kids, no less) and a main stage appearance at Norway’s OYA festival. Wolves Like Us are without doubt a band to keep an eye (and ear) out for in future.
Ryan De Freitas
Check out first single Deathless below: