Wolfbrigade – Life Knife Death (Review)

Five years have passed since the last Wolfbrigade album The Enemy: Reality was released. Now the Swedes are back with a lot of anger and a new record. Life Knife Death will be released on September 13th via Metal Blade Records. The latest output of the legendary crust punk band contains 12 tracks and probably sounds better than ever. 

The opener, “Ways to Die“, immediately throws you into a veritable riff thunderstorm, so there’s not much time to catch your breath. Wolfbrigade seem much angrier than on their last album. In skilful Lycanthro Punk manner, a symbiotic interplay of melody and a rough crusty sound is achieved.

If the Swedes have proven one thing on their previous releases, it’s the fact that they can write catchy riffs. Almost every track contains at least one short passage that you would love to play along to on your (air) guitar or sing along to. Of course, it is not a new formula from the band itself that the crusty elements sound particularly good with Motörhead influences. This has been proven many times in the past. However, Wolfbrigade manage to implement this concept much better than on their previous album. 

“Unruled and Unnamed” is perhaps one of the band’s most melodic tracks ever. The duality between heaviness and melodic influences reflects the overall picture of Life Knife Death well. At the same time, the Swedes are also able to write songs like “Sea of Rust“, which, in addition to an absolutely awesome main riff and a proper punk attitude, can create a surprising amount of atmosphere at the end.

That’s why their latest release is so much fun. Elements of rock, metal and hardcore are skilfully combined. But the band has already proven all these aspects in the past, haven’t they? Yes, legendary crust punk group is indeed not reinventing the wheel. But they don’t have to. For me, the process is much more important. Life Knife Death seems to me like a fusion of Run with the Hunted and The Enemy: Reality. Wolfbrigade have taken the best aspects of both works to the next level and present them with a lot of fury on their latest album.

Life Knife Death feels like it was well worth the wait. Lycanthro Punk is back!