Hence the Wolves - Set Fire the Crown

Hence the Wolves - Set Fire the Crown

My friend Ian asked me to do a review of his band's new album and of course, I'm more than happy to do so.  To tell the truth, I wasn't sure what to expect.  After a few listens, it's grown on me.  It opens with what sounds like a live mixing session and then jumps right into high gear from then on.  When we talked about my slacking on this review, he asked if it were too heavy on the breakdowns; I've recently become an appreciator of breakdowns and I'm of the belief that there's no such thing as too many, as long as they're executed well.  The only thing about it is the segue tracks: I could take 'em or leave 'em.  In regards to that, my criticism is that they're not engaging enough, and that goes for most bands that employ them.  For a proper reference, check out the acoustic interludes on Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality; those are brief respites from the brutality.  Besides that, it's a pretty great slice of modern, uh, something-core; I don't know how to tag it genre-wise.  As a fledgling drummer myself, I really dug what was going on in that department.  The band as a whole is pretty tight, really.  And whoever is on vocals, give that guy a hand.  It's not the most original delivery but it's got enough character to not be distracting or annoying.

If you're not some kind of no-fun-music snob, I'd say check it out.  Haven't had the chance to catch them live, but I'd be willing to bet it's pretty rad; as far as I know they're playing some shows, so go support if you can!  Props to these cats for hammering out a mosh-able set.  It's clear to me that there's potential for this band to get better and I will definitely be interested in seeing how they progress.  Cheers!