IN THE PRESENCE OF WOLVES

This is another band I could see on stage at the ProgtoberFest, and wow, I also decided to listen to them and write a review just because they made us have a great time there. In The Presence of Wolves knew how to get us involved in spite their heavy and really loud sound that maybe some of us aren't that use to dig.

They have a new EP released this 2017 that features 5 songs and half an hour of pretty cool heavy prog rock (it could be metal, why not). It opens with the delicate 'As We Speak, Pt. 1' which doesn't have anything of heavy prog, but works as a good introductory EP track. Now we are talking, 'The One Who Fell to Earth' will make you move your head and body, its rhythm is much more addictive and of course, heavier. I am afraid their live performance bring louder moments than the studio ones, because on stage I could bet they were a metal band, but in studio they don't really sound like metal, but heavy prog rock. Great guitar work on this track, by the way.

With 'White Noise' I could not help remembering Coheed and Cambria, Stamato's voice is quite alike to Claudio S'nchez. The music is a bit djently, with great strings and wonderful drums. There is a great instrumental passage here, so the band knows how to give worthy moments with and without lyrics. The longest track comes next, a challenging 10-minute song 'The Ape and The Cage'. It opens with acoustic guitar and vocals, a soft first minute that leads to an explosion of heavy moments, several changes in time and mood and a so powerful sound that in moments is contrasted by the charm of the backing vocals and that acoustic guitar. Again, you can enjoy both the instrumental passages and the moments with voice.

The album finishes with 'M.U.A. (Manipulation Under Anesthesia)', an 8-minute track very well composed, again with several changes, with great strings work and clean heavy vocals. The djently feeling is also here, but they are far from being a djent band, let me clarify. The musicianship is great here, it is clear the guys are talented composers and performers, and it is also clear that this release can be easily loved by fans of modern heavy prog alt rock bands.

Enjoy it!

What we're dealing with here is what I'd often describe as a modern progressive rock band. Or progressive metal, depending on point of view. The band operates on the borders of rock, hard rock and metal, although that aspect in itself isn't what makes them modern. It's rather everything else they toss into the blender.

There's a strong and distinct feel of indie rock and alternative rock to the landscapes this band explore. Staccato, abrupt and hard guitar riffs in particular is a recurring feature, adding that indie and alternative feel straight away. There's also a bit of grunge added to the mix at times, adding a nice, dark bluesy feel to the proceedings, an aspect also explored by more delicate guitar solo wanderings here and there. The band explore these details and others in a rather quirky manner however, in a way that reminds ever so slightly of bands such as Thank You Scientist and The Mars Volta, but without the more excessive arrangements of the former and without the more abrasive edges of the latter. In The Presence of Wolves explore a rather more stripped down sound, and the keyboards used throughout this album is more of a gentle presence. As far as styles and blends are concerned, the frequent and recurring use of instrument details and occasional arrangements with a more purebred jazz and jazzrock orientation also merits a mention, as this defines the band almost as much as their quirky blend of hard rock bordering metal.

At this stage the band appears to me as promising to a greater extent than being a well developed unit, the ideas they explore are at times more interesting than the actual end result, if you catch my drift. They are a tight band, and most likely a strong and convincing live act, but as far as making a studio album is concerned they aren't quite there just yet as far as I'm concerned. It is a good album, but I rather think I hear the traces of unrealized potential lurking in the shadows.

If you tend to enjoy bands that explore a more contemporary and somewhat quirky take on progressive rock and progressive metal, In The Presence of Wolves is a band that merits a check. I would imagine that fans of bands such as The Mars Volta and Thank You Scientist would be something of an ideal audience for this band and this specific CD.