Artist: Lycanthro
Title: Mark Of The Wolf
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date: 4th June 2021
Label: self-released
Review Flash
What’s better than spending your Saturday evening with a bunch of Canadian Heavy Metal Werewolves? I bet there’s not much that sounds more like an alpha move huh? LYCANTHRO have assembled their first full-length and it is a ripper! Just the other day I had the opportunity and pleasure to interview the bands vocalist James Delbridge and we had a good, down to earth chat and interview. Sound-wise this output makes clear that these guys mean business. James and David Shute share riffing duty and the sum of it is that there is quite some shredding to be done when going down LYCANTHRO style. The band has many audible inspirations and many of them are old-school as fuck, the arrangements take account of every checkbox in the 80s Heavy Metal 101 without disregarding the need of an own unique sound. James’ vocals constantly remind of Joey Belladonna’s kind of always singing outside of the classic vocal lines (above, beneath or beyond but never just along). The riffs breathe both the spirit of US bands like ICED EARTH and NWOBHM Bands like IRON MAIDEN (I even thought I heard a moment of GUNS ‘N’ ROSES). The drums are an organic part of the sound without being too quiet or to dominant and the Bass is constantly audible (big shout out to Carlo Cote and Jack Kosto).
Conclusion: ‘Evangelion’ is my favourite as it is the catchiest of the bunch.
Rating: 8 / 10
