Big Neck (2022)
This Werewolf Jones record came in at the very tail end of 2022, but to me it feels like a 2023 release. Anything coming out in December is a record my brain tends to push to the next year. Regardless of the year, I'm not positive this is a band that would be the sort to make one of my personal end of the year lists.
I've reviewed other releases by Werewolf Jones, tapes mostly, but I am always amused by their name, which I think is a tremendous band name. I haven't been as enamored with their music, but it's mostly because stylistically, they don't fit that well into the sort of thing that I typically am drawn to. A lot of that is in the vocals, which are of the throat shredding variety. I can't say they are particularly melodic, but I will say that they are better than most bands that pursue this sort of thing. I can feel genuine passion and energy, it doesn't just sound like screaming for the sake of it.
The other thing that I can say is that for the most part, the music itself works, for this sort of thing anyway. This is a band that is tight and when they play at a million miles an hour, it never feels like things are going to go off the rails. The recording quality really shines through here as the bass in particular sounds really full and drives home the lightning fast guitar riffs. Again, this isn't really my sort of thing, but as far as bands straddling that divide between hardcore and garage, Werewolf Jones does it better than most others out there.
Werewolf Jones - Rot Away:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/rot-away
