With a jaw-dropping music video, Alpha Wolf have kicked off a brand new chapter today. The Melbourne band’s sophomore album a quiet place to die has been announced as on the way, and will release on 25th September via Greyscale Records/SharpTone Records. With “Akudama” being the first taste of the album to come, it’s a hefty (re)introduction to Alpha Wolf, presenting a crew of anime heroes in energetic style.
Third Eye Visuals’ insanely precise work on editing the music video for “Akudama” works overtime in delivering the message which may or may not reflect Alpha Wolf’s brand to come. Lending from Japanese culture, including visual similarities to Paledusk‘s “9 SMILES” music video, ‘meeting’ “Akudama” is a full-on blast of sound and sight.
Rapidfire transitions hit, ripping the listener into a dark world with neon accents, where urban scenes morph to manga and video game-influenced moments. At times breaking the fourth wall, it’s like we fall backwards inside the Third Eye Visuals desktop. The swings from reality to creative fantasy are captivating, and absolutely warranted rewatches.
But what about the song? “Off with the head” roars vocalist Lochie Keogh, and it’s easy for it all to vibe like a Tokyo based showdown, where the ‘akudama’ is about to be taken out in a boss battle. Alpha Wolf’s familiar sonic flavour of high and sharpened riffs and bluntly delivered lines is here, but the stage-setting for Lochie to have his say feels like something fresh for the quintet.
Confirmed via the press release, the single is described as the chance for Lochie to “express the shock to his system of being thrust into the spotlight of a band on the rise, and the negative aspects of the music scene that came with it”. While not specific in the target of the song’s aggression, Lochie gives the industry example of musicians taking support slots for bands that they’ll talk badly about in their next breath. With this, the repeated “Cut the head off, watch the bodies drop” implies (for me) the idea of taking out the ringleader(s) to resolve the negativity.
With this vibrant and fierce leap back into awareness after the release of Fault, Alpha Wolf seem to be using the opportunity to vent frustration and distaste. Channeling demons and bleeding them into songs seems to be what’s ahead in a quiet place to die, and the band promise that it’s the best they’ve ever sounded. Time will certainly tell!
Pre-orders for Australian fans: https://grysclrec.lnk.to/quietplace
Pre-orders for ROTW: http://shrptn.co/akudama
