Review Summary: Bad Wolves indeed.
For what it’s worth I haven’t always listened to metal. Having grown up on my father’s collection of typical dad orientated rock in Talking Heads, U2 and Bon Jovi often blasted out of your average backyard shed to the point where the whole suburb could hear. Often, it left me looking beyond the world of classic rock (and let’s face it, my mother’s world of Shania Twain was probably not going to cut it). It wasn’t until my final years in Australia’s educational system where I started to push away from the sheltered listening of my parents and into the world of System Of A Down, Mudvayne and Korn. It’s these bands that shaped my musical growth across a spectrum of heavy rock to bleak blackened funeral doom and as much as I wouldn’t seem it relevant, the likes of U2 are the bedrock.
It’s clear a little back story goes a long way and as far as history goes, there are those that need little explanation. A slight jogging of the mind will normally do the trick. And while the names, Doc Coyle (God Forbid) and John Boecklin (ex-Devildriver) May be instantly recognisable amongst mainstream metal, the likes of Tommy Vext leaves a hanging question mark. Better known for his exploits carrying Snot’s legacy forward in the forms of live shows (as inconsistent as they are publicized), a rather unknown solo effort under the moniker of Vext, infamously as an ex-vocalist for Dino Cazeras’ Divine Heresy, and a small stint in Westfield Massacre after the falling out with Cazeras before fronting his new project, Bad Wolves. Despite the controversy of firings, quittings, legal issues and ego issues (either his or someone else’s), Vext has always looked forward, moving on to wherever his career takes him. But here’s the rub: while quite talented, the guy has burnt out, becoming a detrimental feature to the music he so proudly stands for, providing yet another dose of filler to the mainstream masses.
Let’s take things back a notch.
Lighting the way for Vext’s newest project is metal’s flavour of the year. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the last couple of months, there’s a fair chance you’ve heard Bad Wolves play The Cranberries’ “Zombie” on your local radio station. The track, most noticeably famous for its strong lyrical motif, carries a socio-political theme of war and death is both Bad Wolves’ leading single and their newest record’s biggest selling point. Unfortunately, Vext and co. add very little in the way of individuality and creativity, simply using the track as a well produced marketing tool. For all the merits of covering such a well known track, it’s Bad Wolves taking it as far as it goes, milking it for all it’s worth without any thought of bringing their original flair to the music. Despite the fact that covers have been around longer than music has been an industry, the frequency of more pop-oriented tracks lending themselves to the make or break of a new band is tiring to say the least.
Eventually, we’ve got to come to the realisation that
Disobey isn’t
all bad. The expectations that come from any supergroup formation weigh particularly heavy on the shoulders of Bad Wolves. These moments, (as few and far between as they exist) tease at the unused potential shown throughout
Disobey. The main riffs used in “Learn To Live” speak strongly of Doc Coyle’s expertise behind a set of strings. Tie that in with Boecklin and Konkiel’s (In This Moment, Scar The Martyr) rhythmic spine and Bad Wolves show promise in the songwriting department. Other tracks simply flesh out the album’s overall runtime, adding neither excitement or quality to
Disobey or the Bad Wolves name. The opening track, “Officer Down” has the initial hard-hitting energy that is typical of the alternative metal/metalcore genre but fails to maintain the steam found instrumentally. Resorting to half-arsed “woah’s” and raspy, ill-defined rapped verses, Vext puts a stop on all of the group’s initial momentum found within the album’s opening moments. Another clarifying example comes in the form of “Remember When” which directly nods to Vext’s touring time in Five Finger Death Punch and the likes of Chris Daughtry simultaneously. The rock ballad style doesn’t really suit the roots of mainstream metal Bad Wolves are built on, nor does it execute a rather simplistic song structure. It’s a let down, albeit an unremarkable one.
Realistically, the standards to which
Disobey is measured could be considered unfair. The fact of the matter is that this “supergroup” just doesn’t meet the expectations. For thirty-six minutes listeners are left scratching their heads as they hear one of the year’s most unfocused and over-hyped records of 2018 thus far. Filled to the brim with mediocre to average instrumentation and a lacklustre vocal effort from one of metal’s up and coming singers,
Disobey neglects to build on the hype, missing out on some truly undeniable talent just waiting dormant. Bad Wolves have a lot going for them… just none of it’s here.
