Haste the Day - Attack of the Wolf King [2010] [320kbps]

Over the lifespan of Haste The Day, a plethora of line-up changes have occurred, with one standing out in particular. This alteration seemingly left the band for dead, with no apparent signs of life to be found, as their heart and soul was now elsewhere. As most have probably inferred by now, I speak of the departure of harsh vocalist Jimmy Ryan, the glue that held together Haste The Day through their first two albums. Known for his unique fry-screams, Ryan was the main reason that the group stood out in the new wave of Metalcore bands. Once he was gone though, most fans dismissed the band as a lost cause, which turned out to be quite the unintelligent move. Rather then throwing in the towel, the band quickly made Stephen Keech their new vocalist and stormed back into the Melodic Metalcore scene with two solid albums. Now on their third album without Ryan, Haste The Day is still showing no signs of stopping with Attack Of The Wolf King.

Torrent:
Haste the Day - Attack of the Wolf King [2010] [320kbps]

Tracklist:
01. Wake Up The Sun ( 3:23
02. Dog Like Vultures ( 3:46
03. The Quiet, Deadly Ticking ( 2:49
04. Travesty ( 3:59
05. Merit For Sadness ( 3:12
06. Un-Manifest ( 3:15
07. The Place That Most Deny ( 3:58
08. White As Snow ( 4:40
09. Crush Resistance ( 3:16
10. Walk With A Crooked Spine ( 3:41
11. My Name Is Darkness ( 2:26

Special Edition Bonus Tracks:
12. Meet Me Half Way (Black Eyed Peas Cover) ( 4:05
13. Blue 42 (Live in Auckland, New Zealand) ( 6:46
14. Pressure The Hinges (Live In Capetown, South Africa) ( 4:40

Artist: Haste the Day
Album: Attack of the Wolf King
Label: Solid State Records
Playtime: 53:56 min
Genre: Hardcore
URL: http://www.myspace.com/hastetheday
Size: 94.12 MB
Type: Normal
Quality: 237 kbps / 4410kHz / Joint Stereo

To start things off, a major component that deserves recognition when speaking of Haste The Day’s new sound is the mixing of vocals by Keech and bass guitarist Michael Murphy. The duo’s singing styles are a perfect example of polar-opposites, yet they contrast each other seemingly well through out the album, with Keech as the harsh vocalist and Murphy as the clean vocalist. Although not the most unique harsh vocals to be heard, Keech’s vocals hold a large sense of emotion to them, as the listener can almost feel his anger and despair with every scream erupting from their speakers (Ex. Crush Resistance). Murphy’s high-pitched clean vocals serve as a refreshing break from the onslaught of harsh rasps, thus making room for a larger variation of song structures that wouldn’t be possible if Keech did all the work. Adding on to the already-potent pair of Murphy and Keech are the interesting lyrics they convey, (“From their teeth, and their blood will spill like water in a fountain for thieves and liars, so bare your teeth and sharpen your claws, because we hold the keys”) which delve into topics such as the story of the Wolf King. It may sound ridiculous at first, but once one really considers the meaning and metaphors behind the lines, they can be seen in a whole new light.

Moving forward, something that must be pointed out is the new and improved instrumentals. With two new guitarists on board for Attack Of The Wolf King, many fans had no idea what to expect, making the results quite startling on first listen. Haste The Day possess two guitarists, Dave Krysl and Scotty Whelan, both whom stepped up to the plate and delivered. Through out the album, the riffs have a much more solid sound than ever before, with technical yet appealing high pitched Drop-C riffs aplenty. Another nice aspect of the new guitar work is the larger variation in pace, as it moves from quick riffing to a slower sounding riff, then back to a quick riff again, all in a split second. When listening to the drum work on Attack Of The Wolf King, major improvements can be heard right away also with the addition of Giuseppe Capolupo, who is on board for his first Haste The Day album. Rather than going with the “Chug Chug Chug” approach like many Melodic Metalcore bands do, Capolupo keeps up with the rest of the group, only showing off his double bass skills when necessary. Now, I don’t mean to say he isn’t a talented drummer, but more so that he knows the time and place for going crazy on the drum-kit. This practical approach is not only rare in Haste The Day’s respective genre, but it fits the album perfectly too.

Haste The Day has come a long way over the past nine years, and with Attack Of The Wolf King, they have once again proven that they can pull together a wonderful album, with or without the man who was the band's heart and soul.

Recommended Tracks:
Dogs Like Vultures
Merit For Sadness
White As Snow