When anger calls, it’s important to strike the iron while it’s still hot. 

And that has never been a problem for Australia-based behemoths Werewolves. Their brand of death metal has always been as straightforward as their name. And barely a year after the ferocious From The Cave To The Grave the equally ferocious and downright vitriolic My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me (Prosthetic Records) is here and more vengeful than ever.

It’s nine songs of straightforward anger and hatred. Not only is that sentiment apparent through the band’s sound; some of the lyrics in particular foretell a myriad of things that have been pissing off the group mightily. So much so that they’ve continued their release-per-year schedule just to vent their frustrations before more inevitably pile up. 

Perhaps the most biting of all is ‘Destroyer Of Worlds,’ certainly a reference to the now-timely J. Robert Oppenheimer and his utterance of those words, quoted from Hindu scripture, in regards to his prominent role in the Manhattan project. In it, the band simply asks: “Was it worth it you fuckers? / You fucking fuckers / you fucking fucking fucking fucking fucks.” Now that line would normally lead one to believe My Enemies… is a satirical display of a mid-level attempt at shock humor or something. But Werewolves more than back that up with sadistic, brutish, callous metal.

The titular track specifically features foundation-altering drums and brusque, heavy riffing. Hellacious instrumentations (‘Brace For Impact’); visceral, deathcore-styled vocals (‘Neanderhell’); and compacted guitar sections (‘I Hate Therefore I Am’) more than adequately power this machine. 

Yet no amount of proficient, technical rhythm-section work can hide the resentment and indignation. If that was ever in question, Werewolves put that to rest most prominently on closer ‘Do Not Hold Me Back.’

“May your children all fuck up and die / I leave you nothing / I hope you catch the plague.”

Buy the album here:

https://werewolvesdeathmetal.bandcamp.com/album/my-enemies-look-and-sound-like-me

8 / 10

MATT COOK