Written By Kevin McSweeney
In this Foreignwolf Merely Mortal EP Review, we dive into the Belfast band’s unpredictable and genre-blurring latest release.
First of all, I love the name Foreignwolf. It’s like they want to know what love is, and they’re going to hunt for the answer in packs.
What I don’t love is the way the press release describes the Belfast band’s sound simply as “heavy rock”. Is that all I have to go on? It doesn’t tell me much.
That could mean anything from Mötley Crüe to Metallica, from Aerosmith to Alter Bridge, from Halestorm to Helloween and so many other things besides. This is actually quite hypocritical on my part.
You’ll often find me, sat on my metaphorical pub stool, boring the arse off all and sundry by eulogising the 1990s as a time when bands sought to defy categorisation and weren’t willing to be consigned to a pigeonhole, labelled with whatever subgenre of subgenre of subgenre seemed most fitting.
Still, it would be nice to have a little more detail. I guess the only thing to do is to listen to their Merely Mortal EP, which is due to be released independently on April 3rd, and see what we make of it, track by track.
Foreignwolf Merely Mortal EP Review: Track Breakdown
Tyrant
After being briefly lulled into a false sense of security by an elaborate guitar intro that verges on Muse, we are then knocked flat on our backs as the track flies out of the traps with frenetic hardcore fury.
The full-throttle ferocity is alternated with a slower but no less punishing riff that could have come straight from the fretboard of Dino Cazares during the decade I lauded in my intro.
It’s intense stuff, complete with blood vessel-bursting vocals from Gerard McCann that neither relent nor seek refuge in the territory of clean singing, save for some Corey Taylor-style half-spoken vocals during an eerily atmospheric middle section that presages a big metalcore breakdown.
So, are they a metalcore band? Or maybe crossover thrash? Heavy rock just ain’t cutting it as a description. Let’s move on.
Hollow
And just when I think I’ve got them worked out, they change it up! After what sounds almost like a surf rock intro, we get clean vocals from McCann, who spent the whole of the previous song roaring his lungs out.
It’s heartfelt singing, too, and we find ourselves seemingly in metalcore territory, or perhaps melodic post-hardcore in the vein of Glassjaw or Alexisonfire.
Even when the venom returns in the chorus, it is infused with melody through a four-chord progression.
This isn’t at all what I was expecting after Tyrant. There’s some emphatic lead guitar work from Dave Brady and pummeling double-kick drumming from Max Couhig towards the end, but it’s still quite a departure from the opening track. Intriguing! Let’s continue.
Imposter Syndrome
The title of this track has piqued my interest. I’d love to acquaint myself with its meaning, but I have neither a lyric sheet nor a hope of deciphering those impenetrable Belfast accents! (Just kidding, gents!)
Musically, it alternates between abstruse alternative metal in a slightly jarring time signature, and something decidedly more djent in character with gut-wrenching riffs and chop-exhibiting interludes from Conor Forbes and Couhig.
The chorus is anthemic in 6/8 time and the whole thing concludes with a big metalcore breakdown that fades out. This irks me.
I like a breakdown to come to a juddering halt. No arguing with the quality of what came before it, though, and the reason for the vagueness with regard to subgenre is now apparent. To the final track!
Resolve
The EP concludes with the song that was released as a single, with an accompanying video, on March 27th, and it’s easy to see why. It’s by far the most palatable of their tracks for a wider audience.
This is full-on Bullet For My Valentine-style stuff. (Unfortunately, there’s been much reason for the tears to crash around them throughout the troubled history of their city.)
The song starts with an almost jangly guitar riff and impassioned clean vocals. Again, even the heavier parts of the song, complete with harsh vocals, still retain their melody and emotional impact. (There’s even a riff later on that reminds me of Garbage, for feck’s sake!)
Couhig is at it again, flopping his chops all over the shop! There’s some intricate ride cymbal work in the verse that reminds me of Neil Peart, and on other occasions he seems intent on reducing his kit to matchsticks.
Harsher critics might accuse him of overplaying, but I was a drummer myself, so you’ll hear no complaints from me. As for the title, Is that “resolve” as a verb or a noun? A lyric sheet would really help!
To close this Foreignwolf Merely Mortal EP Review I’m still none the wiser about how to categorise them. They do like to dabble, and I guess heavy rock is as good a description as any.
If anything, their sound is defined by their tendency to oscillate between the abrasive and the accessible. It’ll be interesting to see how it all balances out over the course of a full-length album in future.
I am reminded of the Cherokee parable about the internal battle between two wolves. In this case, it is a battle between the heavy and the heartfelt elements of their sound. I am eager to see which wolf ends up better fed.
Metal Lair awards the Merely Mortal EP by Foreignwolf four out of five devil horns.
Track listing:
1. Tyrant
2. Hollow
3. Imposter Syndrome
4. Resolve
Line-up:
Gerard McCann (vocals, guitar)
Dave Brady (lead guitar, backing vocals)
Conor Forbes (bass, backing vocals)
Max Couhig (drums)
FOREIGNWOLF ONLINE:
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
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