Words – Tracey Moyle {Music Maven}
Awakening our eternal emo spirit, Wolf & Chain are without doubt one of the most exciting young bands in the country. Celebrating the release of their sophomore EP ‘Amor Mortal’ this week, the band have again created a theatrical, emo/pop-punk style rock opera that will appeal to their ever-growing fanbase. These Adelaide-based punks have become the Brothers Grimm of the music world, weaving together a series of tracks reading like a horrific fable, swinging between obsession and horror.
Following their 2020 debut EP, ‘An Honest Mistake’, released amid a world pandemic, Wolf & Chain embrace and embody the emotional pandemonium the world was plunged into.
With the band citing influences ranging from My Chemical Romance, I prevail, Falling In Reverse and Rise Against through to The Cure and David Bowie, their theatrical storytelling is the soundtrack without need of a movie. It’s an emotional musical journey as much as it is pure entertainment.
There is an ambience of intrigue with a minute-long intro titled An Introduction, setting up the following musical memoir. The mood is set instantly with frontman Jack Cumes, vocals oozing disdain and resentment then falling into temptation. The narrative plays against a beautifully executed Spanish guitar, a tale-telling instrument alone.
HEX is an emotive punk rock onslaught, balancing melodic vocals with screaming angst. Relentless guitar riffs emphasise an impending battle as the witch and her lover progress from passion to hostility.
The second single taken from the EP is a track befitting of any classic 2000’s emo album in title length alone. An Unfortunate Tale of Two Lovers and an Insatiable Taste for Poison, is a tale of a deadly love fantasy, dripping with obsession and insatiable desire. Musically the track is packed with infectious hooks, dragging you in, enticing you to follow along. Musically it peaks as an epic adventure should, Cumes capturing classic Panic At The Disco style in his vocal performance.
This punk rock opera plays out with excitement, anticipation, horror and tragedy. The frantic heights of Far From Home, an explosion of musical intensity, captivatingly matched lyrically. The overall theme denotes that love can bleed you dry, leaving you nothing but a shell of who you once were.
The EP rounds out with Still Alive, a track that will delight old (and new) fans missing their My Chemical Romance days. The song captures an intense awareness that pain exists only to prove you are still alive. It’s that perfect balance between emo and pop-punk, agony and delight.
The lead single is the grand finale. A Taste Of Blood is as cinematic as a song can get. Using instrumental and vocal ambience to create an emotional response, haunting guitars intensified as the song peaks. Relentless drumming set the scene as Cumes concludes the tale. The band relays the outcome perfectly – with the song ‘demonstrating the vampiric nature of obsessive love and its ability to turn people into monsters.’
‘Amor Mortal’ is one of the most exciting albums of the year. If there was ever a time for emo or theatrical punk rock to re-emerge, now is that time.
‘Amor Mortal’ is out digitally on October 29.
Vinyl pre-orders and more are available now via 24Hundred.
Keep up-to-date with Wolf & Chain on socials
With thanks to Ruckus PR