Victoria's very own Left For Wolves have always been a good band, no fucking doubt. Their 2013 EP 'Drown' proved that completely and fully. It was a heavier, tighter sound than their first demo and it hit you like a high speed freight train. Now they've done the local hardcore scene another great justice with this new six-track release, 'Real Life'.
Let's be clear though, this five-piece are an Australian hardcore band, so you will have definitely heard similar chords, grooves and structures in other local acts like Thorns, Graves, Abel Talisman etc. and that is the only criticism with is EP - the amount of predictability in it. But thankfully, LFW have turned up the heaviness to 11 and the opening songs, 'Chains' and 'Overflow', assert this newfound heaviness and aggression straight away.
'Rise Above' and 'Roads' keep up the energy with some truly high octane rhythms, phrases and riffs. It's easy to see the influence that bands like The Ghost Inside have had on LFW but it never once feels gimmicky or like they're trying too hard at imitation. Instead, it seems like their honing in their own sound and it's coming together really, really well.
'Lessons' is a short but great song through and through, and it's a brilliant closer for this EP. While it does rely solely more on breakdowns than the preceding songs, it's a defiant anthem telling everyone to watch out because Left For Wolves are here to stay.
Finally, one thing that definitely needs to be said is that the musicianship across the whole board has been improved vastly. The stronger, more prominent leads in the title track, the heavier vocals and bass lines, the tighter drumming for instance; the band has really stepped everything up for 'Real Life'.
Left For Wolves have yet again put out a solid EP, and it's really exciting to watch them get consistently better and better with each new release. While it is a generic EP, it is Australian hardcore done right. Keep an eye on these boys.
1. Chains
2. Overflow
3. Real Life
4. Rise Above
5. Roads
6. Lessons
