Run-of-the-mill deathcore is, by and large, a dead horse getting regularly flogged. Modern day deathcore bands, by and large, either have become increasingly technical, rote in their writing and unfeeling in their presentation, or are shamelessly aping the new “slow, not slow enough; heavy, not heavy enough” standard that Black Tongue have established. There are outliers of course, like Nexilva, with their infusion of technical riffage and black metal, and Fit For An Autopsy, who bring a heavy amount of atmosphere and Gojira influence to their music, but by and large, deathcore bands are comfortable resting on the laurels.
Not so with Left To The Wolves. Combining the old-fashioned sounds of Despised Icon and Carnifex into some jaw-droppingly heavy, fist-swingingly energetic material, these guys are reviving a sound that’s been at the background of the scene for some time now. It’s powerful, crushing, fun stuff with just enough atmosphere and melody for the foreground chugs and trem riffs to hit as hard as possible.
The invigorating combination of hardcore punk and slight black metal influences, a la their two big predecessors, adds a huge sense of foreboding evil to their tunes, and every member of the group feels locked into their performance: the drums pummel away, fluidly switching between bassy breakdown punctuation and blast beats in an instant, the guitars intermittently spit fast bursts of grim fire and pummel the listener with chugs, and the vocals cement the performance by bringing an overall aura of wickedness and malice to the package. The mix is equal parts anger and intensity, wrapped up in energy and bombastic presentation.
Bristling and seething with a uniquely anarchic, violent vibe, Left To The Wolves is bringing together two deathcore titans of old into a brilliant combination. If you, like me, find yourself wanting more and more of that old deathcore sound from the genre’s mid 2000’s heyday, do a favor to your ears and give these guys a spin.