Bad Wolves - Die About It (Album Review)
Bad Wolves – Die About It
Released: November 3rd, 2023
Lineup
Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz // Vocals & Rhythm Guitar
Doc Coyle // Guitar
Kyle Konkiel // Bass
John Boecklin // Drums
Online
Coming into this album blind, I was not entirely sure what to expect from Bad Wolves. I will be entirely honest, the only song I had listened to from the band before was their 'Zombie' cover.
I am revealing this fact because since listening to Die About It, my preconceptions about what this album would sound like have been shattered. Bad Wolves have gone from being off the radar to a band that I am actively going through their discography.
From the jump, 'Intro' was a little eerie, but also intriguing. A little kitschy but it is an effective lead into the first real song on the album 'Bad Friend'. Being the first single to be released, it does its job of setting the tone for the album. This was the precise moment I realised I had no idea what this band was about.
Clean but with so much depth, 'Bad Friend' shows Daniel ‘DL’ Laskiewicz's skills as a vocalist. What caught my ear was the understated bass line. It acts as the spine of the song, allowing the guitars to play with the melody fully. Overall, it is just a real solid heavy rock hit that has the presence of a mid-00s Marvel movie feature track, teetering that line of post-nu-metal hard rock.
Speaking of that wave, 'Die About It' rides it. The rap section dove headfirst into that nostalgic heavy rock sound but with the rise of nu-metalcore, it is not dated. If anything, Bad Wolves are helping the revival of consistently decent mainstream hard rock. There is that heavy metal sound but for those who like things a little more filthy, the track is peppered with some gutturals and a nicely placed bleurgh. What more can we ask for?
'Saviour' keeps the brutality going then drops into an atmospheric verse, highlighting the fullness of DL's singing voice. Similarly to ‘Bad Friend’, it has that classic mid-00s hard rock sound. As somebody who grew up listening to bands like Saliva, Drowning Pool and Sevendust, it just hits all the right notes for me. The difference, as I mentioned earlier, while there is an embodiment of that type of nostalgic hard rock sound, it does not feel like I've plucked an album straight out of 2005. 'Hungry For Life' takes that sound and makes it cinematic. The positive lyrics have the Killswitch Engage style- positive and uplifting without sounding cheesy. Much like the start of the album, there is a real superhero movie vibe, making it the perfect soundtrack for an origin story montage.
One of the elements that stand out with this album is the continuity. Every song feels as if it is introducing the next, leading in and out, building up and down. Going for 'Hungry For Life' to 'Legends Never Die' just makes perfect sense. It takes that uplifting and positive motif and pushes it towards reflection. Not to harp on the cinematic point, but there is just such vivid storytelling in the lyrics and the instrumentation creates a perfect backdrop.
'NDA' is probably one of the most surprising offerings for me on the album. While it does sit so well between the tracks it does, it stands out for all the right reasons. It is unexpectedly poppy. There is a vibrancy that juxtaposes with the melancholy nature of the lyrics. When the chorus kicks up the heaviness is a notch, but it doesn’t lose it's melodic nature. The ending saxophone solo? *Chefs kiss.*
It screams of a band that is not afraid to innovate.
Now I mentioned previously as well that I was not all that familiar with Bad Wolves before I heard this album and when I heard that the singer used to be in The Acacia Strain, the verses of 'Move On' were what I thought I was in for. It is the one that gives the album that little more dimension and would convince me to go see them live. Basically, this me saying that this band is so much heavier than what you would think from their single releases.
[wpadcenter_ad id=170783 align='center']
When you give this album a listen and 'Masquerade' kicks in, focus on the guitars. They give away just how much goes into the tracks on this album. There is so much going on from driving riffs, little solos and catchy licks. They add so much dynamic into what on appearance may seem like a generic heavy metal hit. 'Say It Again' has a similar vibe going on, but this time it is the rhythm section's time to shine. It was as if they truly let drummer John Boecklin off the leash.
Dropping from the speed and high of the previous two entries, 'It's You' gives a bit of breathing space. Featuring the talented singer KILLBOY in the verse, the duet between her and DL is heavenly. A power ballad that reflects the modern music scape, it is only strengthened when a third voice is added to the equation via a guitar solo. Perhaps not heavy enough for the metal purists out there but let us not spoil the fun of a sweet, romantic tune. If by the time you get to 'Turn It Down' you are not enjoying this album, then perhaps you are a little too fussy. Like the majority of the album, the song is so well-written. Every component that makes up the track is correctly placed. The production quality is incredible and honestly, by the time I got to this on my first listen I was in awe. It is heavy, melodic and lyrically complex. The Metallica-inspired metalcore breakdown at the end was a wonderful touch.
'Set You On Fire' wraps up the album beautifully. The stripped-back sound puts the vocals front and centre before being dragged willingly into that absolute crescendo of a chorus. Conjuring up images of introspection, then gut-punching you with the heavy breakdown. There is no doubt that there was so much intention behind putting together the tracklisting.
Ultimately this album felt like a real sleeper hit for me. It took a couple of listens to wrap my head around the complexities and true hidden brilliance that Bad Wolves has put together with Die About It. If you do not hear it the first time, listen again and I can assure you that you will find yourself coming back to it again and again.
The only complaint I have is the length. While every song does feel like it deserves to be on the album, when running through it back-to-back, a bit of audio fatigue sets in. All the songs individually are stand-alone great tracks and the flow between them works, but that flow almost works against them as I found it slowly drifted into the background.
Bad Wolves – Die About It tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Bad Friend
3. Die About It
4. Saviour
5. Hungry For Life
6. Legends Never Die
7. NDA
8. Move On
9. Masquerade
10. Say It Again
11. It's You (2 Months) feat. KILLBOY
12. Turn It Down
13. Set You On Fire
Rating: 8.5/10
Die About It is out on November 3rd via Better Noise Music. Get it here.
Review by Kayla Hamilton (@kaylazomboid)
Check out our interview with John Boecklin chatting all things Die About It here
