Well it’s been a busy 12 months for Melbourne Death masters Werewolves with last year’s blistering aural attack “The Dead Are Screaming”. Now fast forward to today with the new album “What A Time To Be Alive” which I will add is a very fitting name for an album given the state of the world that we live in right now.
Now if we are going to talk about the pedigree that this band is formed on then fans and metal heads alike will whole heartedly agree they don’t come much bigger then Abramelin and The Berzerker to name a few. Now from the outset this is about as nasty as a baseball bat to the face at full pace with the opening track “I Don’t Like You”, lyrics that start with “I don’t like you, fucking hate you, you disgust me!” gives you some direction as to this albums straight to the face mentality.
In a recent interview via Amnplify with bassist Sam Bean who when asked to describe the bands sound, he is quoted as saying the following: ‘Hateful brutal blackened death metal. We’re not trying to get all hipster and stroke some beards and do the dissonance, thing we’re not all nerding out over string gauges and trying to prove that we’re musicians‘. My point is this sums up so eloquently the sound and feel of this album.
Now Dave Haley of “Psycroptic” fame who needs no introduction, has his signature blast beats and rolls plastered all over this beast. A perfect example of this is on the track “Plagues On All Your Houses”, if snarling snappy vocals are your thing then we have you covered. Also look no further than the track “Antisocial”, the pure fury and honed musicianship, in my books anyway, puts this right at the top of the totem pole. I’d go as far as to say this is almost surgical in it’s delivery.
Iif you are looking for an invigorating Australian death metal release with enough ferocity and punch to leave Mike Tyson on the ropes – pun intended – then look no further than this album. Sure to piss off the neighbours for the rest of 2021 and for me a definite Australian heavy contender of the year which is an exciting prospect give we are only into the first part of the year. What are you waiting for? Beg, steal, run……. GET IT NOW!
10/10
TRACKLIST
I Don’t Like You
Sublime Wartime Voyeurism
Mission Statement
Crushgasm
Unfathomably Fucked
Antisocial
Traitors and Bastards
A Plague On All Your Houses
They Will Pay With Their Own Blood
