EP REVIEW: Draconian Darkness II – Wolfheart
Draconian Darkness II is presented as a companion piece to their previous studio album, Draconian Darkness, but let’s call it what it is; they’re bonus tracks that have been repackaged. Some might think that’s a bad thing, but in WOLFHEART‘s case it’s not at all. Comprised of two new musical offerings from the band, one live track and two re-imaginings of previous songs, WOLFHEART have decided to release the tracks instead of letting them rot on the shelf.
Opening with the furious Carnivore, the atmosphere of the EP is set already. The heavy tuned guitars and drums are synchronized as the vocals of Tuomas Saukkonen rumble like thunder on a backdrop of blast beats from drummer Joonas Kauppinen with angelic chorus vocals in tow. Already on the first song there’s a lot going on. Vagelis Karzis & Saukkonen on guitars are at the front of melodic death metal. The riffs intertwining and the fuzzy down tuning paired with distortion-less guitar create a myriad of directions for the band to lean into, and Carnivore shows their skill sets in equal measure.
Forefathers is much like Carnivore. A harsh blast beat laden affair that’s a tad slower than its predecessor but keeps up the energy with Kauppinen’s drum kit taking the brunt of the assault from the band as he mixes minimalistic drumbeats with complex fills that show depth as the band fire on all cylinders with background symphonics. As we pass the new additions to WOLFHEART‘s discography, Burning Sky is the live song taken from the bands most recent tour, but you really cannot tell its live until the end where the crowd cheer. Until then you’d be forgiven to think it was recorded alongside the previous two songs. An outstanding performance from the band.
And as we reach the end of the EP, The Gale & Grave send us home with an emotional goodbye as the songs are revamped and stripped down to bare bones that end the EP in a tremendous way and leave you wanting more slowed versions of their catalogue.
Rating: 7/10
Draconian Darkness II is set for release September 19th via Reigning Phoenix Music.
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