Psychedelic rock band Wolf People are celebrating the release of their second album, Fain. The artwork immediately caught my attention, leading me to check it out. Well, that and I tend to like any band with “wolf” or “black” in their name. When I put the album into my computer to play, I noticed there were eight tracks that were close to five minutes, with the average length being five minutes and 30 seconds. Upon listening to the first song, “Empty Vessels,” I was blown away by the musicianship. Cymbals start the track off until the guitars kick in. There is a special relationship between guitarists who have their own parts to play, but somehow manage to meet up in an incredible way. My favorites on the album are “All Returns” and “When The Fire Is Dead In The Grate.” The lead guitar is absolutely fantastic on these two with heavy melodic solos, showcasing the band’s natural talent.
Energy is derived from the bass and drums on “Athol,” “Hesperus” and “NRR.” The deep, distinct sound of the bass stands out in the background as it follows the rhythm guitar riffs. As for the drums, the cymbals alternate between hi-hat, ride and crash, dictating when the “sections” of the songs will change.
Overall, this is a great psychedelic rock album with lots of heavy riffs and energetic drums. With most of the tunes sounding like a musical composition, there are many different sections, most of which end with where they began. Popular music has gone through various different genres over the years. Where psychedelic rock reigned in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, Wolf People are here to bring it back. Much like their own music, the band has helped their respective genre come full circle.
