Oakland, California’s Blackwülf
are back with a vengeance with their upcoming Thieves and Liars LP available February 3rd via the
mighty Ripple Music. The quintet has been gone for almost five years and give
us their first post-pandemic album, a worthy follow-up to 2018’s Sinister Sides.
The proceedings begin with the
first single, “Shadows”, a kick-ass opener and one of the highlights of the
album, featuring frontman Alex Cunningham channeling Ozzy at times backed up by
scorching guitars and a sound reminiscent of Tool. “Seems to Me” has an old
school heavy rock/metal vibe. “Killing Kind” with its Sabbathian opening riff
lets us know that evil is looming. It’s got a catchy chorus and is an overall solid
track. The title track, also the second single off of this record, is another
terrific number: a fist-pumping kind of song. “Failed Resistance” builds
momentum with its chugging rhythm and hypnotic percussion. “Psychonaut / Edge
of Light” is the lengthiest track, running close to nine minutes. The vocals
reminded me of Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach a bit. The bridge leads to a gorgeous acoustic
second half that segues into the next track, “Mysteries of This”, which is less
than a minute long. It’s a dreamy instrumental intro for the next song, the
excellent “Brother”, the penultimate song. It’s short and sweet, energetic, and
has just the right amount of wailing guitars. One of my absolute fave tracks on
the LP. “Cries of A Dying Star” with its heavier tone and groovy rhythm closes
out the set to end things on a strong note.
Blackwülf’s Thieves and Liars sees the band returning in top form. They’ve got
the swagger to reach the top of the charts and after all those years together, they
sound and feel like a well-oiled machine. Fans of doom, heavy rock, and metal
will all find something to rave about with Thieves
and Liars. It’s another solid outing from a band that consistently delivers
the goods.
Ripple Music’s Blackwülf Bandcamp Page: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/thieves-and-liars
Blackwülf on Bandcamp: https://blackwulfusa.bandcamp.com/music
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