ALBUM REVIEW: Wolf Hex – Wormwitch
It’s often forgotten that black metal stems from the depths of punk music. The genre’s attitude-ridden riffs and lyrics have birthed some of the most well-known bands to date, including Canada’s very own WORMWITCH. Formed from the remains of a hardcore punk band, the Canadian quartet have infused over time the foundations of punk and the darkness of black metal to create their voice for personal freedom. Now, emerging onto the scene once more, WORMWITCH return with their anti-authority, anti-state, and anti-religion stance with Wolf Hex.
One of the things that has made WORMWITCH stand out from the crowd is being able to break the stereotypical black metal mould whilst holding it firmly in its grasp at the same time. Whilst there’s dark shrieks, wolf howls, harsh melodies fuelled with fast-tremolos, there are moments in which the band go back to their hardcore punk roots, and at times to speed metal-esque chaos.
Hammer Of The Underworld and Abracadabra are both prime examples of the aforementioned being included on the album. When you’re faced particularly with the opening force of Hammer Of The Underworld, there’s this MIDNIGHT-like vibe that comes with the guitar tones of Colby Hink and Kyle Tavares, whilst Robin Harris‘ vocals are quick to follow suit each change in dynamic and style. Shifting from that speed metal tone to cold black metal and then closing out on the hardcore punk elements once more, it is testament to how well WORMWITCH are able to hold the reins tightly on sounding refined.
In the midst of all the fast-paced riffs and black metal chaos, the band have been able to throw in a couple of more dark-folk tracks, allowing for a quick breather. As the acoustic guitars echo through with the subtle, haunting vocals in The Crimson Proof, you are transported somewhere calm, somewhere that shows that even with the less aggressive-style music tones and dynamics, black metal can still be beautiful when it’s completely stripped to its core on a more emotional level.
As the album continues, there’s a level of appreciation for the craft that goes into each element. The formatting of black metal doesn’t have to be dull or continuously bleak, it can be still, ferocious, even angry, and yet with the right combinations to go at its side, it can be overlooked as a genre which, in the case of WORMWITCH, is a crying shame if it is merely judged by its label as opposed to its quality.
WORMWITCH have been able to achieve an album that is potentially one of their strongest to date. The band have been able to both mentally and musically create an escape from the judgments people often make about black metal and the mentality that it is a genre that is only executed well when sticking to the original formula. This band stick to no rules, only the music they are passionate about, and, if they can pull off any future releases the way they have with Wolf Hex, there’s a guarantee that they will become one of the most sought after bands in the scene for years to come.
Rating: 8/10
Wolf Hex is out now via Prosthetic Records.
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