Wolves at the Gate Deliver Solid Debut Album

The Ohio based Christian hardcore band Wolves at the Gate made quite an impression on critics and fans with the release of their 2011 EP We Are the Ones. The band may be young, but they definitely have a vision of who they are and what they want to deliver to the people. They have just released their full length debut album Captors on Solid State Records and it looks to be a solid delivery for the guys. The album was produced by Andreas Magnussen (Oh, Sleeper/Haste the Day).

Lead vocalist Nick Detty and the boys come out of the gate with a thunderous crashing of guitars provided by Steve Cobucci and Jeremy Steckel on the track “The Harvest”. It’s a great opener for the album as if gives a little inside of who the band is and what they have to offer. It also sets a great tone for the album and what’s to follow. Detty has a great screamo voice that shows quite a lot of depth to it. They also mix in some clean vocals on the chorus and other parts.

“Morning Star” changes up on the vocal delivery as the song is mainly done in the clean vocals of Cobucci. “In Your Wake” is a standout track on the album and one of the most solid selections on here. The guys show that they can mix it up within the confines of a 3 ½ minute song. This one is slow and melodic at the beginning, but then it crosses over to the heavy side. Cobucci’s vocals on this song are very strong and this is a prime example of how his style and Detty’s screaming style truly complement each other. There are other bands out there who attempt this, but they come nowhere close to the results that these guys accomplish.

“Slaves” is a very interesting song on many levels. It starts out acoustically and builds up intensity and changes speeds as it tells the story of a slave attempting his escape. It manages the art of storytelling in 4 ½ minutes and that’s an art form that is sorely missing in music today. It also exits out acoustically, just as it began. “Step Out To the Water” may very well be the best example of how Wolves at the Gate is able to almost perfectly blend the clean vocals of Cobucci and the screams of Detty. They do it effortlessly in a way that they blend well and complement each other.

It’s hard to believe that this album was recorded less than a year after they released their EP. Cobucci is a double threat on guitar as well as providing the clean vocals for the group.  Jeremy Steckel is the other half of that dual guitar attack. The rhythm section of Ben Summers on bass and Ben Millhouse on the thundering drums are a powerful and solid unit. It’s a rarity in a young band to find such a seasoned and polished sound. It’s almost scary to think how far these guys can go if they are this strong out of the gate.

 They show a great deal of diversity as they can play heavy, grinding rock with breakdowns and heavy riffs and then they can switch to something acoustic or a little mellower. They wear their faith and display it proudly in their lyrics. Wolves at the Gate are definitely a young band top keep an eye on. The industry is complacent and stagnant and can use a band like Wolves at the Gate to make them stand up and take notice.

A Sound of Thunder Emerge Out Of The Darkness On New Album

I just love it when I stumble upon a new group that I haven’t heard of before and they totally blow me away. The D.C. based metal band A Sound of Thunder did just that when I listened to the opening track on their new album Out of the Darkness. One song, that’s all it took for me to know that I was listening to something special.

The band consists of Jesse Keen on bass, Chris Haren on drums, John Schwartz on guitar and Nina Osegueda on vocals. I know, I know, you’re probably saying ‘Oh great, another female fronted metal band’, but this is different and so is Nina. The band has a sound that is familiar, but at the same time is a breath of fresh air. They combine killer riffs and pounding drums with catchy hooks and a vocal delivery that is out of this world.

The album opens with “The Day I Die” and you can immediately tell that this band was influenced by Black Sabbath. The guitar riff at the beginning of the song is very Sabbathesque with its dark and brooding feel. Then, Nina’s vocals kick in and you are totally floored. The sheer power and conviction of her voice commands your attention. The song has an awesome breakdown at the 5 minute mark where it really gets that early Sabbath vibe going. The song clocks in at over eight minutes in length, but it flows so smoothly that it never seems to get boring.

“The Nightwitch” has a cool little intro that sounds like something out of a Freddie Krueger movie. Nina’s vocal delivery is soft and gentle and you think you are in for a ballad. Then, guitarist Josh Schwartz shows up and kicks the door down with a hot riff and totally changes the landscape of the song. Josh really shines on this track throughout with some solid fretwork along with a smoking hot solo thrown in for good measure.



“Kill That Bitch” is, as twisted as this may sound, a fun little song that showcases a more playful side to the band. The plot is pretty simple: you’re with a girl and another girl wants you and for that to happen you just need to ‘kill that bitch for her’. The lyrics are tongue in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously…..I think. I couldn’t help but hear shades of Lzzy Hale from Halestorm in this song.

“Out of the Darkness” features a guest appearance by Raven vocalist/bassist John Gallagher. This song definitely screams old school metal reminiscent of the mighty Iron Maiden. The song kicks ass from the killer riff to kick it off to Nina’s powerful last note to end it. “Calat Alhambra” starts off with a nice piano intro and then shifts gears and the band flat out rock on this one. Again, it’s a throwback to the sound of Iron Maiden that would even have Mr. Dickinson throwing up his horns in approval.

“This Too Shall Pass” is a beautiful ballad that shows off the softer side of the band of vocalist Nina Osegueda. Her delivery brings out the raw emotion and feelings in the lyrics. The addition of a string section is a major bonus to the song and adds a wonderful layer to this already amazing song. It also shows the depth and versatility that this band has to offer.

I think this album is solid from beginning to end. Josh Schwartz is a beast on the guitar and displays some very interesting and unique riffs throughout the album. The rhythm section of Chris Haren on drums and Jesse Keen on bass is as tight and solid as any other unit in music today. Then there’s vocalist Nina Osegueda. This woman has so many guns in her arsenal. She embodies power, passion, sensitivity and aggression that a lot of singers would kill for. If Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson had a love child, then she would definitely be it! Do yourself a favor and check this album out before the band blows up big. You need to jump on this bandwagon because it’s going to fill up quick!

MyChildren MyBride Experience A Rebirth With New CD

High school is generally a time to party and hang out with friends. It’s a time of enjoying the carefree lifestyle of being young and living for the moment. For Matthew Hasting, it was a time of self discovery and finding his inner voice. That’s when he put together his Christian metal core band MyChildren MyBride and started looking towards the future.

The band worked hard, toured and tried to find the right mix of musicians. There were so many lineup changes that a revolving door was needed to make it easier for those coming and going. Yet, determination prevailed as the band signed with Solid State Records and started creating a buzz. Their debut album Unbreakable came out in 2008 and its follow-up Lost Boy in 2010 and the road became their new home. Their hard work ethic and dedication started winning fans and critics over alike.

Now, it’s 2012 and their highly anticipated third album is about to be released. It’s odd for a band’s third album to be self-titled, but lead singer Matthew Hasting feels as if this album is a rebirth for them and they are starting over. After listening to it in its entirety, I do believe fans will agree with him. Producer Zeuss (Hatebreed,Shadows Fall,Suicide Silence) helped the boys tap into something that they had yet to discover about themselves and the results are pretty amazing.



The album opens with “Morpheus” which sets a tone of importance for the album. It’s a short track clocking in at 1:34 and starts off somberly, but builds as the whispered intro is joined by the chugging guitar riffs and drums thirty seconds in. It leads into “On Wings of Integrity Part 2”. This song is definitely one written especially for the fans. The band continued the song lyrically from its predecessor and it is a really something special. It’s sure to go over really well live with chants of “we are the voice of this generation” which just screams audience participation.

“Anathema” kicks things into high gear with its faster, more aggressive tempo. Mathis Arnell is a beast on the drums on this track too. The song also has a cool breakdown about two minutes in where it gets totally quiet and you think the song is over, but it’s not. The next track, “God of Nothing”, is one of the band’s most creative shining moments in its young career. The musician ship is top notch and

Matt’s vocals show a great deal of diversity. The song starts with a very effective spoken intro and leads into the heaviest and most intense journey that the guys have ever taken you on in four minutes. Matt mixes his spoken word with this more common aggressive styling and it really clicks. I love how the song drops off suddenly at the end with only a piano closing it out in a haunting fashion.

“The Endless” is one of the more powerful songs lyrically on the album. Although the guys are all Christians, they don’t make that the prime focus of their lyrical content. Their songs have a positive theme to them that are universally appealing regardless of one’s religious beliefs. The song deals with death and losing those who are close to you. Always remember that no matter how bad you think you have it, there’s someone else who has it worse.

“Hell or High Water” is another song where the boys seem all jacked up on Red Bull. High energy and high intensity on this track that just flat out rocks. The album closes in a big way with the very strong track “No One Listens, No One Cares”. It’s definitely a standout track and particularly strong on the musicianship aspect. The drumming by Mathis is stellar and the dual guitar attack of Robert Bloomfield and Hunter Wells shows off some of the most insane and creative guitar work on the album. It’s an awesome choice to finish on such a strong note.

I have to say that the guys have definitely raised the bar on this album. Zeuss has awoken a sleeping beast on this one. They are more aggressive than ever and seemed more focused and determined. As mentioned before, it is like a new start for the band. The riffs are more brutal, the choruses are bigger and more epic and the guys sound hungry. A very strong album with a very positive message and worthy of praise.