Wolves At The Gate
Reprise EP
(Solid State Records)
Wolves At The Gate explored the bare bones side to their sound on their most recent acoustic EP, entitled Reprise. The Ohio based Christian metalcore band has made a reputation based off of the emotionally driven lyrics and post-hardcore elements prevalent in their songs and blending that sound with the edge and intensity of metal. Reprise explores a different avenue of the band that is not often showcased and a sound many of their fans are not accustomed to hearing. The EP may be an acoustic rendition of six songs the band has written, however, this is not to suggest that the acoustic songs on this release are watered down versions of their precursors.
Wolves At The Gate truly showcases their collective talent as a band on this acoustic EP by incorporating pristine and beautiful vocal lines, crisp and articulate guitars and powerful percussive instruments. The EP truly shows the composition and creative skill of the songs that are normally known for the dominating tone of heavily distorted guitars. The band demonstrates that loud and heavy music can make a statement, but sometimes, strong softer music can demonstrate an equally bold message.
What also makes this release a truly unique work is that five out of the six tracks on the album feature guest vocalists of various Christian bands ranging from metal to indie rock, including Being As An Ocean, For Today, Come Wind, Emery and Citizens & Saints.
The themes of faith, brokenness and redemption that Wolves At The Gate employ in their music still rings true, if not truer, on this EP. The slower tempo of each track, as well as the clean sounding instruments, make it that much easier for the listener to hear each individual word and analyze the lyrics in greater detail. The message and quality of the songs on the Reprise EP are such high quality that even the most conservative pastor would enjoy the contemporary Christian music Wolves At The Gate have worked so hard to bring to life.
The Reprise EP was an overall masterpiece, showing how talented and creative each member in Wolves At The Gate is. (Matthew Saunders)
