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For quite some time, Alpha Wolf have been branded as the future of the extreme core scene and the boys have diligently followed their set path forward. In two punching albums and countless sweaty shows, they have cemented their name as uncompromising, punishing, no-bullshit band raising from the hardcore pits of wild Tasmania before moving to Melbourne and finding their place in the modern scene. Originally backed by the local tastemakers in Grayscale Records and having joined forces with SharpTone Rec since 2020, the Aussies now make a loud return deep into 2024 with their third LP Half Living Things, and it seems their future is starting to look a little more unpredictable and interesting.
There is so much blank noise and force pretence across the metal world that people get a little overexcitied when an innately heavy act comes along with a couple of right-in-your-face ragers, and this was Alpha Wolf's story so far. There is no denying Mono (2017) and A Quiet Place to Die (2020) were outstanding bangers that set the stage perfectly, but I feel like there was nothing special to them aside from raw power and pure rage. When metalcore acts embrace only the -core part of their roots, they tend to et stuck, exhausting their ideas and comitting to a lifetime career of limited underground shows. Thankfully, some bands do unlock that other side just like Alpha Wolf have done here.
Before all wannabe core kids get butthurt let me just say that I absolute love Alpha Wolf's extreme and uncompromising side and it is still very much present throughout Half Living Things. There is just something more, a special spark of brilliance that extends beyond the repetative hardcore tropes that gatekeepers would push forward as the only acceptable values of true heavy music. There is passion, vision and thought that spread outside the narrow comfort zone of the extreme scene, and when embraced so authentically like Alpha Wolf have done here, the results are breathtaking. The album starts pretty much how one would expect them to kick off a concert - fast and furious, pleasing the modern hardcore moshpit with 'Bring Back the Noise' and 'Double-Edge Demise' but then it gets interesting.
Opening the pandora box of influences, the band pours a hefty dose of nu-metal, rapcore, death metal and all that spice into the mix, dropping the bouncy rager 'Haunter', supercharged with that trademark primal fury but wrapped in layers of industrial atmosphere and ambiance bordering with psychotic. Then it is the exemplary rapcore anthem 'Sucks To Suck', recruiting the godfather Ice-T and unleashing a banger bursting with street swagger and attitude powerful enough to put decades of genre history to shame. Last of this triad is 'Whenever You Are Ready' or the that key, symbolic moment in Alpha Wolf's career when the ambitious underground hardcore kids from the hood raise to become global modern metal powerhouse, as historic and monumental as it sounds.
That one single track is so powerful, iconic and perfectly executed that it almost does not matter what follows, but Half Living Things continues just as strong as it starts and needs to be experienced in its entirety. Songs like 'Pretty Boy', 'Feign' and the title track do stand out but honestly so does the entire record. The album is logical and concise, well-rounded and complete, with no unnecessary fillers or overly melodic distractions, and yet it shows a new side to Alpha Wolf that is creative, bold and risky. This newly-found confidence, or dare I say maturity, reaches its true climax in the otherworldly finale 'Ambivalence'. and is what ultimately makes Half Living Things that one album that changes the game.
To quote a wise man from the streets: "This is Alpha Wolf, motherfucker! You wanna die?" The real strenght of this record is that between all those examples of openness to grow, develop and suceed as a band, there are still the raw, unfiltered and authentic features that made Alpha Wolf unique in the first place. It is the ability to accept change and move forward while embracing your roots, that separate the greats from the average, and in Half Living Things the guys have shown they won't settle for just being part of the contemporary metal world, but they intend to lead and shape it to their liking.
Alpha Wolf - 'Half Living Things'
Country: Australia
Released: 22 March 2024
Label: SharpTone Records / Greyscale Records
Tracklisting:
1. 'Bring Back The Noise'
2. 'Double-Edge Demise'
3. 'Haunter'
4. 'Sucks to Suck' (ft. Ice T)
5. 'Whenever You're Ready'
6. 'Pretty Boy'
7. 'Mangekyō'
8. 'A Terrible Day For Rain'
9. 'Feign'
10. 'Garden of Eyes'
11. 'Half Living Things'
12. 'Ambivalence'
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