Wolves Like Us

Black Soul Choir

Norway's Wolves Like Us are the very definition of a slow-burner. There's nothing immediate about their sound, and it takes a long time to really get them. The trouble is, their sound is such a prickly one—most people probably never thought they would want a band to sound like a mix between Deftones and Planes Mistaken For Stars, but that's what this Wolves Like Us do, and they do it with so much heart and soul that it's impossible to not get caught up in the great Quicksand groove of it all.

Check out the soaring “Three Poisons” or the weirdo caveman emo-rock chant of “Dig With Your Hands” to get an idea of how this band knows how to use slowly rising song structures to create a sound that envelopes the listener and brings them along for a journey that may be simplistic in structure (start with slow groove, add melody, remain consistent, reminisce about Orange 9mm, repeat) but is never cloying and is fully satisfying. The secret to their success is that their sound is reasoned, methodical; it's moving but not heart-on-sleeve. Because of that, it takes time to figure out. But once it hits you, it hits hard.

Where the band go from here is anyone's guess: this album perfects the sound they've been working toward. But they can take their time crafting their next move, as they've given us lots to chew on here with this dense, pleasing, and—most importantly—fully enjoyable album.

Prosthetic http://www.prostheticrecords.com

“Dig With Your Hands”