Sometimes lack of patience can be a good thing despite what your mum told you. Matt Willcock and Sam Bean of The Berzerker and Dave Haley the drummer for Psycroptic decided to fill the gap between their main bands releases with a new project of thunderous death metal – Werewolves. This trio obviously know a thing or two about extreme metal and causing neck sinew to strain so it was with some interest that I delved into this hairy gnashing melee.

The album opens with a snippet from 2010’s remake of The Wolf Man – “There are those that doubt the power of Satan …….to change men into beasts” and with that we are off at a lycanthropic gallop into “Establish Dominance”. Sam Bean seems to relish doing lead vocals on this project and his combo of low guttural growls and slightly higher rasps make a good spokeswolf for this group of terrifying tales. Dave Haley’s drums are sloppier than the inhuman barrage that Berzerker fans are used to but this gives things a gritty and more organic feel which I for one really dig.  Matt Willcock’s riffs are as cutting as you would expect and the spiky gothic rhythms on “Dogknotted” give the track a great midnight movie effect. It has its own chuggathon reminiscent to Six Feet Under’s own paeon to the howling types finishing with a guitar line that has me squeezing invisible oranges (or was it the hearts of my enemies?)

“Fountains of Bile” sounds like it’s title. Acrid riffs splashing across the bones of humans. Tremolo picking over the carrion at their feet before a BIG dirty groove kicks in to bring it all home.

I was expecting a cover of The Stranglers when I saw a track entitled “No More Heroes”. Rather than tales about ice picks and revolutionaries there lies a track that evokes feelings of Anaal Nathrakh and Necroticism era Carcass. It’s good but comes across as a little safe to me.

Whereas “Beating those we despise” hits the brief mentioned in the PR blurb that accompanied the album –  blackened caveman death metal. This is a club to the face that just keeps coming until you are pulp of bones and teeth (would be hair as well if I had any). Massive chunky Dimebag style riffs erupt into blastbeats and tales of ultraviolence.

“Gnaw Their Bones” is a quick Cannibal Corpse blast with some lovely thrash metal leads throughout it that give it an 80’s apocalyptic Thrash feel.

Death metal polka? That is what “Irate” sounds like to me. It makes me wanna get up and jig about, except naked and covered in blood. Um . Maybe this Covid-19 lockdown is getting to me.

“Showering Teeth” is the swansong before the moon retreats and we all wake up in the wolf cage in London zoo pining for Jenny Agutter. Angry, sweaty, visceral, bludgeoning and primal. This final track is chaotic and frenzied and then it is done.

Werewolves have made a really good album of no-nonsense brutality. No pretension. No virtuoso moments or prog stylings. Just sledgehammer to the face, claw to the throat metal. It’s great.

(8/10 Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/werewolvesinhell

https://werewolvesdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/album/the-dead-are-screaming