Wolf X Down is a female fronted Hardcore band from Ruhrpott Germany. The band has built a name for themselves over the last few years with their rebellious spirit, ACAB messages and Vegan Straight Edge lifestyle. Their last release Renegades was a great record and helped them to solidify their fan base. Now they’ve returned with a new release, their first full length album called Stray From The Path. The record is released through Start A Fire Records and Powertrip Records.

‘Intro’ isn’t much more than a heavy guitar riff and heavy drumming, but it immediately tells you this record will nothing but heavy. ‘Treasures of the World’ is a hard hitter and the metallic sounding solo is outstanding in this track. ‘Loss’ is mean and heavy and has a very high 2-step potential. ‘Reality Slap’ is a Straight Edge track filled with pure hatred. Lyrics like “I have the guts to say no! I am not a part of it anymore – count me out!” will do great live. Edge kids will go mental over this. ‘Loving Embrace’ has Powerful lyrics like “I’m a dagger, I’m poison, I’m variance, I’m a loving embrace” and is another heavy track. ‘Tables Will Turn’ starts with catchy riffs and sounds very groovy. It’s always positive to have a good groove going, it makes everything sounds more dynamic. The male vocals are nice addition too.

‘Stray From The Path’ is heavy and in your face. Larissa’s vocals fit in perfectly and again the male vocals are added in this track. Musically, Wolf X Down doesn’t really stray from its path. There is a consistency in sound and with most bands it gets boring but Wolf X Down stays interesting somehow. ‘Crown Of Thorns’ is a burst of pure aggression. The slow verse is a nice addition to the track. ‘Daydreaming’ is a breather and introduces acoustics and clean vocals. I can’t imagine this song ever played live, but it’s a good and atmospheric track that keeps the record interesting. ‘No Silent Approval’ has a heavy break that sounds very nasty. This song is a vegan war song about animal liberation and is probably one of the heaviest protest songs out there. ‘Captives’ builds up for a while before the vocals kick in. The chorus is simple but catchy with added male vocals to freshen it up. A song built for live shows and sing-a-longs. It’s the perfect ending to a massive record.

Wolf X Down is probably one of Germany’s heaviest bands around today. This record is the perfect embodiment of Hardcore. It’s heavy, it has punk spirit but also metal potential. The lyrics are about animal liberation, straight edge lifestyle, rebelling against the system, standing up for what you believe in and unity. After two strong EP’s I expected a lot from this full length and I got more. Full lengths always prove if a band can stay interesting for longer than six tracks and Wolf X Down proved they can bring a lot to the table. This record has well deserved its title for Album Of The Month. For fans of Coldburn, Risk It, Light It Up, Trapped Inside, Walls Of Jericho, Gone To Waste, World Eater and Redemption Denied.

Tracklist – Stray From The Path

1. Intro
2. Treasures of the World
3. Loss
4. Reality Slap
5. Loving Embrace
6. Tables Will Turn
7. Stray From The Path
8. Crown Of Thorns
9. Daydreaming
10. No Silent Approval
11. Captives

Wolf X Down: Facebook / Bandcamp / Order

Written by Nigel