Wolfbrigade
Run with the Hunted

Wolfbrigade do not need an introduction, and Run with the Hunted does not need a review. The reason is simple: they are a well-oiled quintet, consistent, and damn good at doing their dirty work. Plus, they are simple, and doing simple things well has always been incredibly difficult. So all honor to a band that references without plagiarizing Discharge and Scandinavian Jawbreaker by Anti-Cimex: it's a joy to hear. And it’s not for everyone: you can sense the belching street soul of G.B.H as the skins unleash the breakneck intro "Nomad Pack," immediately followed, without a pause, by "Warsaw Speedwolf," which has already proven to be an outstanding single.

See, everything's great. However, if you nitpick, a bit of that (partial) novelty that characterized the previous Damned has been lost. Twilight and vaguely menacing tones elevated tracks like "Ride the Steel," "On your Knees... In misery," and "Feed the Flames." It was like reliving the first splendid ugliness of Dismember (ask about "Bleed for Me" to get an idea). And it’s always great when hc ties in with the darker Swedish extremism.

But never mind. I like to imagine this album as the clear and concise "who cares" of a band that can afford anything and certainly does not have to indulge in the luxury of reinventing itself to remain credible. We will always and only do this thing, so what? We are the best of all. Punk is all there, in that gigantic "so what?" according to Frank Zappa. And I think he was right.

Therefore, welcome an album that flirts more with the most purist and direct hardcore. It would be better, in fact, to speak of simple d-beat, the classic Discharge school, rather than crust. The most immediate reference, indeed, is In Darkness You Feel No Regrets, a straightforward and pissed-off album that made everyone happy in 2003. Few tracks, no frills, all quite awesome. As today, for that matter.

Sure, expecting something more than the (excellent) assignment would have been fair. But then "War on Rules," "Feral Blood," and "Dead Cold" work so well. And meanwhile, you learn that, at concerts, slamdance is no longer well-regarded because a more inclusive attitude would be desirable, especially in such niche contexts.

So, I stick with the threechordsthree and the mosh. Then don’t complain if April 25th becomes a blue wave and we find ourselves once again watching fascists and moderates dominate a runoff. Because you have to be moderate, especially in moderation. #nicheheads