Wolfpath

We are all well aware that Poland has quite a good roster of black metal bands, and it seems that every time I think about the Polish scene, another band appears on the horizon. The band I am talking about is a two-piece black metal band Wolfpath, formed by Void and Marcello. They released their debut self-titled EP Wolfpath on January 7th 2023 on Bandcamp as an independent digital release. I've already listed this as one of my top 10 releases of January, so I'll be going further as to explain what I like about it.

The first track 'Cursed Moon' starts things off with tremolo riffs, double-bass drums and harsh vocals which surprisingly switch to epic singing, while the song's mid-section transitions to reverse blast beats with a wild guitar solo, later reverting back to the original rhythm. Songs indicate that there are various rhythms in terms of drumming going from double-bass to either mid-tempo or to thrash metal drumming and even blast beats. There are instances when everything slows down a bit with its open string riffs and slow drums to build up to what would later switch to tremolo picking with double-bass drumming and switching back to the original rhythm, creating somewhat of an atmospheric feeling altogether. The fifth track 'Z Popiołów' is the only exception from the rest for being a dark ambient track with female narration and screams which sets up an eerie mood before the final track. The final track simply titled 'Wolf' is a catchy one and a grand pay off, consisted of very simple riffing with some added melodies, similar to Burzum's "Valen", whereas the vocals switch from harsh whispering to harsh singing, while the drums vary in speed. What I like about their songs is that they combine elements of old school and modern black metal, but without a single instance where the songwriting loses its edge with this variation in styles. The best thing about this style variation is that it doesn't negatively affect the entire experience while listening. From start to finish it keeps the constant atmosphere of wandering in the foggy mountains surrounded by wolves, where you're slowly traversing inside the fog while going through some serious mood shifts along the way. I am not sure if I have any gripe about this EP, maybe just the fact that I am a bit bothered that the third track uses the proposition "ov" as opposed to "of" in its song title, just like Behemoth and other black metal bands did in their songs or album titles. The only reason why I am not so much of a fan is because I am honestly tired of seeing bands using that altered proposition, it personally never makes the song title "eviler" or "cooler" in any way. Although it is only one small gripe, I think it can be ignored since it doesn't really affect the entire experience. The sound production is quite stellar, the guitar, bass and drums sound tight and aggressive, and the vocal mix is also worthy of praise.

Wolfpath may be a new face but it's obviously a band formed by very passionate and experienced musicians that put their hearts in the right place. Whatever comes next from them, I am all for it to take my time during the day and listen to any new release because I did enjoy this EP. Check out Wolfpath and their debut self-titled EP, and see if you’re willing to take the lonesome path into the fogbound mountains.

Written for www.Metalbite.com