Finnish melodic death metal band Wolftopia is set to release their debut album Ways of the Pack on December 17th 2021 via Inverse Records.
“Hound of War” is the first single by the melodic death metal band Wolftopia, from the Finnish city of Vaasa. Introducing their 2021 debut album, Ways of the Pack, this is a hard-hitting single that grabs you with the first notes and won’t let you go until the last chords have faded. The song begins with a massive double guitar riff, played aggressively by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen and frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov and supported by the wild double bass drums of Tom Israels and growling bass guitar of Tim Reus. The song opens up hard, shakes the listener awake, and drags them into the aggressive, fast and bombastic world of Wolftopia. Watch and listen Hound of War on Youtube
Okhotnikov explains that the song was inspired by the Gothenburg death metal scene, and that inspiration of the band’s western neighbours can be heard in the riffs. “Hound of War” might be one of the more straightforward songs on the album, but it expresses perfectly what Wolftopia is all about: fast-paced, melodic and atmospheric death metal. This is evident from the crunchy double guitar riffs in the introduction and verses, but also from the majestic solo by lead guitar virtuoso Karhunen and the brooding bridge, glowering with power chords and a heavy bass sound. This brooding aggression might be a surprise for those who look at the inspiration for the lyrics. The words tell of the wolfhound Huan, from the classic J. R. R. Tolkien love story of Beren and Lúthien. The story isn’t only about love, however: it also asserts that destiny is foretold and can’t be denied. And that’s the angle that “Hound of War” focuses on. The threatening bridge and the sorrowful, emotional guitar solo and outro are a representation of this struggle to accept our destiny.
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