ALPHA WOLF RELEASE GROUNDBREAKING NEW EP ‘FAULT’
Melbourne metalcore outfit Alpha Wolf has slowly been making a name for themselves, not only in their home country of Australia but also making the world take notice of them. Their debut album Mono, released on July 14th, 2017 put them on the map, making it to #29 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Following the removal of vocalist Aidan Ellaz, Lochie Keogh was brought in to fill in the vocal duties and fully shows his power and that Alpha Wolf is stronger than ever and ready to take over the world.
Their new EP Fault, which was released this past Friday, April 19th, is also the band’s debut on Greyscale/Sharptone Records. "It takes a special kind of band to make a collision of genres sound so seamless, but Alpha Wolf has managed to do just that. We're so excited to see what the future holds for Alpha Wolf, and honoured to be a part of it,” says label manager Joshua Merriel.
And how right Merriel is on how special Alpha Wolf is. It is evident throughout the EP on the number of influences that Alpha Wolf incorporate into making their own in-your-face, special brand of metalcore. Catchy, nu-metal riffs are present throughout the EP, drawing the listener in, only to bring it full circle with some of the meanest breakdowns present in the scene right now.
‘Sub-Zero’, one of the lead singles from Fault, is one of the standout tracks on the EP, might just be the best call-out track of the year. Keogh uses a no-holds-barred lyrical style in this song, giving this song a sense of ferocity and unforgiveness:
"You're just a pussy in a black hoodie, pushing your luck/Hang your head in the light, but show your teeth in the dark/Another false reflection, ill-intended imposter/Your head hung like the trash that you are."
This same intensity doesn’t lose track of itself at any moment, as Alpha Wolf bring one of the hardest hitting EP’s to the scene. Combining their master of downtempo hardcore, nu-metal riffs, and dissonant chords/notes that create an almost sinister feel to their music, Alpha Wolf came here with this EP to make a statement.
‘Spiritbreaker’, the second track on the EP, is arguably the most different sounding track on the EP. The track shows Alpha Wolf bringing the same intensity musically throughout the song, but shifts gears in the chorus. The guitars seem to take a step back in the chorus to really let the listener hone in on Keogh’s lyrics, where it shows the vocalist as a little more vulnerable and with his heart on his sleeve.
“Spirit breaker, do me a favor/Cut me open, let me see inside/I’m more than a man, but a mess of a lover/Cut me open and you’ll understand.”
This is a relentless, ferocious, unforgiving EP, and it’s time that you started to pay attention to Alpha Wolf because they're coming whether you're ready or not.