ALBUM REVIEW: Future Becomes Past – Redwolves

With their first two EPs, 2014 debut Wake Up and 2016 follow-up Walking Roads, Danish four-piece REDWOLVES delivered a hard-hitting blend of classic and more contemporary heavy rock that also included imaginative but relatable lyrical content, and these make up the essential ingredients for the band’s first full-length album, Future Becomes Past. Whilst in the early stages of planning for the new release, frontman Rasmus Cundell was brutally attacked, for reasons that are still unknown, and the emotions he felt in the aftermath of this form a large part of this offering, both musically and lyrically.

The opening two of the eight tracks, Plutocracy and Rigid Generation, provide a platform on which Rasmus and his fellow band members criticise the negative role in which politics has shaped modern day society, accompanied by edgy, innovative hard rock, which, along with an alluring vocal delivery, does a good job of immediately hooking the listener in, leaving them intrigued as to what the rest of the album has in store. The following two songs, The Abyss and Fenris sees the outfit use a more direct approach, taking the listener through stories of desperation containing much grit, soaring melodies, and spectacular-sounding, rather bluesy, guitar riffs abundant with aggression.

Fifth and sixth numbers, The Pioneer and Voyagers show a change in both mood and musical tone, with the two tracks, when combined, making up an almost 17-minute progressive sci-fi epic based around a character with good intentions named The Pioneer, who experiences the negative outcomes of these, and it is here that the Copenhagen collective really get to show off just how talented they are, by handling emotions, melodies, vocals, and atmospherics with relative ease, for example, Voyagers begins with much intimacy and tenderness before everything gradually builds up towards an overwhelmingly powerful conclusion that is delivered with the utmost intensity, and at breakneck speed, coming complete with soaring vocals.

Finishing off proceedings are Farthest From Heaven and Temple Of Dreams, two songs that represent both sides of an emotional coin, with the first track dealing with events that have shaped a person in a negative way, whereas the latter is based on themes of a more positive nature, with these being linked by powerful instrumentals and heartfelt vocals.

Future Becomes Past is an enjoyable listening experience, which, with tracks that take the listener on a roller-coaster ride full of emotional, thought-provoking music and lyrics, is of diverse appeal, and also effectively showcases further development from REDWOLVES, in regards to their skills in both sound and songwriting.

Rating: 7/10

Future Becomes Past is out now via Argonauta Records.

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