(Source: Official album artwork)
Wolfetone are set to release their debut record, ‘Silence is Acquiescence,’ later on in the month. If you’ve never heard of them before, then let us give you the four-one-one before we dive into any kind of critique here.
Hailing from Northampton and Milton Keynes, these guys – to paraphrase – tout themselves as being one of those ‘no nonsense’ kind of bands who just play great rock music, laden with chunky riffs and nice, toe tapping choruses.
It’s not exactly the most accurate assessment of their work as a whole, however.
In the album’s initial stages, tracks such as the album’s opener, ‘Blame Culture‘ and the punk infused ‘Enemies‘ seem to lack finesse. Of course this is sometimes part and parcel of debut releases from artists, and the music Wolfetone have produced for this record isn’t terrible by any stretch of the imagination (on the contrary, it’s a little reminiscent of Lower Than Atlantis’ earlier material). But it’s just missing a bit of shine here and there – that kind of thing comes with time though.
The release experiences plenty of highs. ‘Tanks,’ shows off the band’s ear for details – intricacies such as Ollie Young’s killer bass lines for example; while ‘Born Human,’ has an inherently political message buried in its lyrics.
And as the album progresses, it does gain momentum. Towards its end, it’s track’s like the release’s chaotic closer ‘The Constant‘ or the melody driven juggernaut ‘Lost Boys‘ that really carry the album with their unstoppable force.
The verdict? It’d be fair to say that the record is a slow burner. It’s not something you’re instantly going to get as soon as you whack it on. Give it a few listens, give it time. It’s not a bad record, per se – what it lacks in flair in its delivery, it makes up for in terms of energy and strong songwriting ability. Let’s just say it’s lukewarm with plenty of potential in there.
