Wolves At Bay, hailing from Connecticut, have been keeping busy lately. In late-2012, the band wrote and put together an EP titled I Was The Devil Once. It is a sturdy collection of six brooding tracks that not only encompass what the band is capable of but also hints at the versatility and ambition they posses.
The first two tracks form just the dynamic that the band was going for, I believe. Hide Like My Friends summarises what most of the EP sounds like. The raspy vocals, mellow tempo, and melodic stretches strike me as some mix of Make Do And Mend, Alkaline Trio and Crime In Stereo. They have a slower, more deliberate pace than any of those bands, which gives them a more emo, indie feel than them. Know Why, a song about self-doubt, is a standout because of the cool bass-ridden groove the song rides over until the bridge, at which point they break right back into heavy-mode, with its yells, crashes and wails. Forgot Who I Was picks the intensity back up with its biting guitar work and aggressive vocals. Vocal range is a big aspect of this release. You'll hear stretches of smooth, clear harmonies and then scratchy, overbearing screams.
Still Afraid and Hollow make up the meat of this EP. The back-to-back tracks are great examples of their chorus-writing prowess as well as their care for musicianship. There are a couple of passages that feature nothing more than awesome, surefooted, creative drum lines (the first thirty seconds of Hollow are fantastic, Black Sabbath-esque) coupled with eclectic riffs. Hollow is probably my favorite on the record, simply because of how diverse they are able to be in just over four minutes. Not to be outdone, though, is the final track, I Was The Devil Once. The similarities to the aforementioned bands are blinding on this track. It's a fitting end to the EP with its high-intensity bridge and brooding chorus. Throughout IWTDO, the lyrics remain dark yet not defeated. There is a glimmer of hope in the gloom. That theme hangs over the entirety of the EP and matches up well with their slower, more calculated musical delivery.
This album has something for everyone. There are songs to dance, mosh, and sing along to. If you're asking for more than that you might just be asking too much. Wolves At Bay have the musicianship, creativity, and ambition to gather some steam in the coming months. Look for this band to hit stages near you and be sure to grab I Was The Devil Once when it hits stores on April 16th!
Tracklist:
1. Hide Like My Friends
2. Know Why
3. Forget Who I Was
4. Still Afraid
5. Hollow
6. I Was The Devil Once
Rating:
Written by Felipe Garcia
