Review Summary: Direwolves put themselves on the hardcore map with their debut EP
Direwolves are a band that wear their influences on their sleeve. You can tell that they simultaneously love Modern Life Is War and straightforward hardcore bands like that, and also the crust influences of bands such as Trap Them. They play in the slower tempo of their contemplative hardcore heroes, but with the occasional instrumental lunacy inherent in the crust sound. With
Me From Myself, To Banish, Direwolves show that they can stand toe to toe with their contemporaries in terms of quality. The guitarists create a crushing atmosphere throughout, while playing off each other undeniably well in the band's crazier parts. The drummer is no slouch either, keeping a sturdy backbone throughout the sixteen-minute runtime. The real star of the album might be the vocalist, known only as P, who screams with venom and malice, never letting up.
The entire album is awash in desperation and urgency, even among the slower sections. The dread that looms in the title track, and it's connection to the closer, "Relief", is quite possibly the best part of the EP. Speaking of which, the song "Relief" is anything but, with blistering riffs and the most crust influence on the album, until it all crescendos with spiraling guitar and P shredding through his vocals, creating a fitting end to a fantastic EP. Direwolves may not be on anyone's radar yet, but with
Me From Myself, To Banish, they are clearly only an LP or two away from becoming a top band in hardcore.
