It is not that I take my time to pay attention to bands’ names or band albums all the time, however, it is fair to say they play an important role to Metal music. As I said many times the name of a band tells a lot about itself, its music, and its attitude, and, the most important, attracts the attention to the band. Bear Mace represent this very well. A curious name that attracts immediately the attention and makes a fan look for it and try the music the band does. As does the album tittle “Slaves of the Wolf.”
“Slaves of the Wolf” follows Old School Death Metal tradition with instrumentals that can sometimes be looked as they are from Old School Heavy Metal, or, even Thrash Metal as in “The Iceman Cometh.” The lead guitars are the things that immeadiately call the fan’s eyes as they use, let’s say, a more flamboyant style with lots of whammy bars and those sequences that sound as if guitar drills. Well, from where I am standing, I have to say I love it. To some extent, maybe I am forcing my hand, but guitars are born to be flamboyant, and, in Metal music they are kind of obliged to be as colorful as they can. That what “Captured and Consumed“ brings of interesting from the twin guitars with an overtone a little bit down than the usual, features brought from Old School Heavy Metal and Thrash Metal, which, in fact, are the roots of Old School Death Metal. If my dear fan listens to instrumentals only, the picture he’s got is from Thrash Metal. Vocals change everything. On the other hand, “Heretics Burn” has a more Death Metal orientation with blast beats and double bass drumming. By the way, drummer Garry Naples shines here with his sonic avalanche.
Regarding to Old School Death Metal tradition, Bear Mace built up an impecable album, however, that does not mean other metaller could not benefit from the band’s music. The neat and impecable production makes this album one with a great quality. By the way, the instrumentals of “Cancerous Winds” are fantastic. I cannot believe any Metal fan would not like it. There is something of Slayer in the bass lines, I believe. Well, better reference than that is impossible.
Bear Mace “Slaves of the Wolf” will be self-released on June 06th.
Track Listing:
1. Slaves of the Wolf
2. Worthless Lives
3. Drown Them in Their Blood
4. The Iceman Cometh
5. Captured and Consumed
6. Heretics Burn
7. Prophecy
8. Cancerous Winds
9. Jewel Throne
Watch “Slaves of the Wolf” official music video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!