SMNNews.com

HOUR OF THE WOLF is an Arizona based band that specialize in the kind of melodic punk that fans of The Misfits and Agent Orange will go absolutely apeshit for. Decompositions Vol. 1, the group’s new album, is devoid of complicated arrangements and guitar histrionics, and long on big choruses and raw energy. Vocalist Lance (no last name given) performs each song with the kind of snotty vocal delivery that fits HOTW’s stripped-down material like a glove. His voice has a great balance of grit and melody, and brings to mind vintage Glenn Danzig.

The album has a rip-n-roll feel to it, and sounds like it was recorded in just the matter of a couple of days. The urgency does the record well. Tracks like “Death’s Coming” and “Burn It” are the ideal soundtrack to a skateboard session, and it’s not tough to imagine that the album had actually come out in 1986. It’s the spirit in the playing and songwriting that made us feel that way. Besides the fantastic new material the band wrote for the album, Decompositions Vol. 1 also includes barnstorming covers of Black Flag, Kid Dynamite, The Stooges and The Nerve Agents. Another tip of the hat has to go to HOTW for keeping the record under 30 minutes. There should be a law that every punk album released should never go over the half hour mark. The folks at Think Fast! have the album available on vinyl which also comes with a download link, so don’t sleep!

PunkRockTheory.net

After three EPs and one split with Lewd Acts on three different labels in just four years, the people over at Think Fast! thought it would be a good plan to make a collection so that all of the songs are readily available. This is the first volume of the collection and after having heard it a bunch of times, I can only hope that volume 2 will follow soon.

The guys that make up Arizona’s Hour Of The Wolf excel at mixing up punk and hardcore with rock ‘n roll swagger, making it a true pleasure to listen. Picture older AFI (the vocalist reminded me more than once of Davey Havok) as part of the Gearhead family if you will. All of the songs on here are catchy, energetic and powerful as fuck. There’s also a bunch of covers to enjoy including Black Flag’s “Fix Me”, Nerve Agents’ “Fall Of The All American” and The Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. It might help shine a light on some of the band’s influences.

Here’s to hoping that with this release they will finally gain the exposure they deserve. Check it out and if you like it you can even order an Hour Of The Wolf coffee mug. Hell yeah! Score: 7.5 out of 10

TheMetalForge.com

Formed out of the ashes of hardcore/metalcore act Life In Pictures (who in their six year existence managed to produce 2003’s Songs From The Sawmill E.P. for Limekiln records and 2005’s Sign of the Spyglass full-length for Clockwork recordings), Prescott (Arizona, U.S.) based punk/rock outfit Hour of the Wolf has spent the better part of the last five years keeping themselves busy with a host of E.P.’s and split releases to their name, as well as maintaining a presence on the live front with tours alongside well known acts such as Terror, Against All Authority and Bleeding Through.

Surprisingly enough, the five piece act (who comprise of vocalist Lance, guitarist/vocalist Addison Math, guitarist Hank, bassist Pat Callaway and drummer Dustin ‘Sweat’ Phillip Hanna) have decided to re-release their entire catalogue of E.P.’s, split releases and one off recordings over two full-length efforts. The first release from the projected comprehensive two disc anthology from Think Fast! Records have finally arrived under the self depreciating banner of Decompositions Vol. 1.

Hour of the Wolf open up this compiled effort with Domestic Wild, which is a brand new track, and one that well and truly gives the album a rocking start to proceedings. Part rock and part punk, Hour of the Wolf certainly have a different sound to most within the scene, but one that definitely stands out for all the right reasons with its unbridled energy and use of infectious melody within a hard rocking/punk rock framework.

The next nine tracks are lifted from the band’s debut 2006 E.P. Power of the Wolf (which was originally released through Limekiln Records), which songs such as the fast paced and metallic sounding Eat You Alive, the rocking drive of Spit It Right Back, Wild Man, Burn It (which clearly sounds reminiscent of AFI in places, particularly on the vocal front with Lance adopting a very Davey Havok-like approach within his phrasing of the choruses) and the band’s note for note cover of Black Flag’s Fix Me standing out as the E.P.’s stronger efforts.

Finishing up the disc is a collection of three previously unreleased covers. Much like their take on Fix Me, the band’s rendition of The Nerve Agents’ Fall of the All American and Kid Dynamite’s Breakin’s a Memory are fairly true to the originals, and slot well against the band’s own material. It’s only their version of The Stooges’ I Wanna Be Your Dog that falls a little short of expectations, with the recording quality sounding quite raw and bootleg-like.

Putting aside the closer, Decompositions Vol. 1 is a fantastic release from start to finish, and a true collectors item for fans.

Hour of the Wolf is hands down one the most enjoyable punk/rock act’s I’ve heard in years, and one I’ll definitely keep an eye out for well beyond the release of Decompositions Vol. 2 towards the tail end of the year. 9/10