WOLVHAMMER: “DEATH DIVISION”

Wolvhammer’s new album is named Clawing Into Black Sun. That’s a name you should remember, because I’m betting it’s going to get a lot of very favorable attention both before and after Profound Lore releases it on my birthday. I have many good reasons for this bet, but I’ll give you three of them.

First, the band’s last two albums — Black Marketeers of World War III (which I reviewed in 2010) and 2011’s The Obsidian Plains (which I did not review because I’m a halfwit) — were very good. I even really liked their cover of “Burn” by The Cure that was included on a Record Store Day split with the The Atlas Moth last year (it’s streaming here).

Second, some talented people are in this band: guitarist Jeff Wilson (Abigail Williams, Chrome Wave, Doomsday, ex-Nachtmystium, ex-Krieg), bass player Joe Noel (ex-Samothrace, ex-Altar of Plagues (live)), vocalist Adam Clemens (ex-Iron Thrones), drummer Heath Rave (ex-Across Tundras); and new guitarist Brendan Seven.

And the third reason is “Death Division”. That’s the name of the new song that premiered yesterday at DECIBEL. Hell of a song.

Wolvhammer are a hard band to slot into genre pigeonholes — that’s one reason I’ve liked their music. “Death Division” gives a flavor of that diversity, with elements of sludge, doom, black metal, and post-metal in the mix. The thick, ropey riffs are heavy as fuck, the vocals are scalding, the piercing lead guitar melody is aching, and the atmosphere is dense and dark.

And the song is also a real mind grabber. It’s most punishing moments are the slowest ones, but there’s a big main riff in the more accelerated part that’s so infectious I cannot get it out of my head. Not that I would want to.

The album can be pre-ordered here; its due for release on July 8. The song stream is below.

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