To Speak of Wolves
Dead in the Shadow
(Solid State Records)
To Speak of Wolves sure know how to make fans wait for the good stuff. With the exception of the under-the-radar EP of last year, New Bones, the band hasn’t put out any records since Find Your Worth, Come Home (of 2012). That last LP was, however, one of grandeur and exploration, taking the band to new levels in subtle (but important) ways throughout. Now, if you did hear New Bones, then you’ve heard the band’s step backwards (in time, not in enjoyment necessarily) to more straight-forward, chaotic tones.
While that EP still had several moments of invention, it was (overall) a lot more like the band’s earlier stuff. Their third full-length, Dead in the Shadow, follows these lines as well, only better. Phil Chamberlain’s drums find the right beats every time, and fuel the songs ever forward. Both bassist, Seth Webster, and guitarist, Andrew Gaultier, seem to sync up with ease, creating multiple atmospheric sequences over the course of the record, and keeping things crazed at (practically) all times. Vocalist, Gage Speas, shows off his cleans better hear than he did last year with New Bones, but ventures less in his screams. Nevertheless, his growl is dead on for the sound, and works wonderfully. Ultimately, Dead in the Shadow could have risen higher with further exploration, like with the perfectly haunting, closing track (“I Am the Shovel, I Am the Grave”), but still this one was worth the long wait. It’s always special when a band makes a worthy comeback, rather than a disappointment. To Speak of Wolves, you’ve been missed.
