Blackwülf Releasing Thieves and Liars Feb. 3; “Shadow” Video Posted
Oakland-based five-piece Blackwülf will release their fourth full-length, Thieves and Liars, on Feb. 3, and the blending of traditional metal guitar shred with Sabbathian heavy rock groove finds them as displayed in the video for opening track “Shadow” below finds them in top form now past the decade mark in their tenure. Last heard from with 2018’s Sinister Sides (review here), they continue to straddle the line between nod and aggression, but “Shadow” offers a hook, a righteous solo and a grim sensibility likewise manifest in the video’s malleable focus and suitably dark vibe, and no, I haven’t heard the record yet, but the vibe I’m getting is that maybe that darker feel is going to carry over beyond just this one song. They would not be the only act to emerge from recent times with a grim viewpoint, and you will not, will not, will not hear me argue either the perspective or the results crafted here.
In short, dudes are rockin’ it. You’ll find the cover art for Thieves and Liars, the requisite preorder links and album info, and the video below. I assume that as December and January play out there will be more single reveals leading up to the release, so I’ll hope to have more to come before we get there.
Until then, then:
Oakland stoner metallers BLACKWÜLF to release new album “Thieves & Liars” this February on Ripple Music; watch new “Shadow” video now
Oakland stoner metal stalwarts BLACKWÜLF are set to release their fourth studio album “Thieves & Liars” on February 3rd through Ripple Music. Watch their brand new video for “Shadow” now!
akland, California’s BLACKWÜLF have roared back from the pandemic hiatus with their new Ripple Music album “Thieves and Liars”, recorded and produced in Oakland by Jesse Nichols (Iggy & The Stooges, Ty Segall, James Williamson). Borne out of the disintegration of the world around them, the new album encapsulates what the mighty five-piece does best: fist-pumping riffs, dark progressions, apocalyptic visions and plenty of epic heavy rock swagger.
About new single “Shadow”, the band comments: “It expresses the dark side that exists in everyone that, if unchecked, can creep to control motives, emotions, and actions. Often hidden beneath superficial layers of pretenses and false narratives, the “Shadow” lurks in the background, a self-manufactured darkness that can control from within. Always attached, and forever following, the shadow waits for its opportunity for the light to change, to consume all in its darkness…”
Forging melody, message, and authenticity with heavy raw power, BLACKWÜLF have been purveying massive riff rock for over a decade. Drawing from influences found in the darker corners of your stepdad’s vinyl collection, the vintage five-piece outfit’s electric live performances and headbanging heaviness have converted a wide base of ravenous fans from Los Angeles to London. What distinguishes BLACKWÜLF from many of their contemporaries is a strong emphasis on “songs” rather than “sounds”, delivering a wide slab of listenable vintage-style heavy metal that draws its strengths from imaginative content and quality performance.
BLACKWÜLF “Thieves & Liars”
Out February 3rd, 2023 on Ripple Music
on vinyl, CD and digital //
US preorder
World preorder
TRACKLIST:
1. Shadow
2. Seems To Me
3. Killing Kind
4. Thieves And Liars
5. Failed Resistance
6. Psychonaut / Edge Of Light
7. Mysteries Of This
8. Brother
9. Cries For A Dying Star
Comprised of rock veteran players, BLACKWÜLF features Alex Cunningham on vocals, Pete Holmes on guitar, Jesse Rosales on guitar, Scott Peterson on bass, and Dave Pankenier on drums. Founded in 2012 in the San Francisco Bay Area, the band’s first vinyl release, “Mind Traveler” was released on Wickerman Records and met to critical acclaim. 2015 saw BLACKWÜLF aligning with premier California heavy rock label Ripple Music, and releasing their signature second album, “Oblivion Cycle”, a riffed-out metal tour de force. 2018 found the band digging deeper into vintage metal roots, releasing their second Ripple Music vinyl, “Sinister Sides”; the album featured three guest tracks from a fan (and now friend) of the band, Geof O’Keefe, an original founder of Pentagram. BLACKWÜLF celebrated the release in the Spring of 2018 by performing as a featured artist at Austin’s South By Southwest Festival and then again across the pond at Desertfest Festival in London.
BLACKWÜLF is
Alex Cunningham — vocals
Pete Holmes — guitar
Jesse Rosales — guitar
Scott Peterson — bass
Dave Pankenier — drums
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