Album Review: Blood Wolf – Blood Wolf

This self titled debut album is everything that the band Blood Wolf stands for. It’s heavy, it’s political, it’s fast, it’s loud, and it’s fun as hell. The riff master Chad Baca writes and shreds awesome thrash metal on his guitar. The opening track, 1680, hits the ground running with a galloping melody, and lead singer Ross Reano screams lyrics about Native American oppression and the cruelty of European invaders, especially the Spanish Conquistadors. The rest of the album follows suit, with aggressive music portraying universal emotions like betrayal, anger, and hatred. Drummer Dominic Martinez sets the pace at a breakneck speed, and bassist Mark Pennington provides a nice groove to solidify everything together. His son, Aeneas Pennington, will sometimes join the band as a guitarist for their live concerts.

This album is a delight to listen to, but on a deeper level, it exposes the human condition. Blood Wolf touches on everything from societal problems, like religious hypocrisy and racial oppression, to interpersonal conflict and toxic relationships. They also sing party anthems about smoking the pain away. The humor in the album helps soften the blow of cold hard facts, and the infuriating course of human history. This album will get your blood boiling, but in the best way possible. This emotionally charged music can make your mind race as fast as your pulsing heartbeat. History, mythology, and imagination all converge spectacularly with this talented band. It’s all extremely relatable from start to finish.

This album was so good that I listened to it for 30 consecutive days straight, without getting tired of it. This was my go-to CD to jam in my car for the entire month of June, when Spring turns into Summer, and the weather is perfect for cruising with the windows rolled down. I cranked Blood Wolf all month long, much to the delight of my passengers, neighbors, and anyone fortunate enough to share the road with me. Undead Goathead’s tagline is “Dedicated to Metal, Music, and Mischief”, and this album exemplifies just that.

This record was mastered by Augustine Ortiz (same dude who does tech for this very website), produced by The Decibel Foundry, and distributed by Entelodon Records. This album is great music, made by great people, for a great fanbase. Even the album sleeve is impressive, with a collage of metalheads representing their Blood Wolf Merch. You might see some familiar faces (cough, cough). The insert also includes lyrics, which is a nostalgic throwback to the vinyl LP’s of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. The lyrics also deepen the understanding and enjoyment of the songs themselves. Even after scrutinizing this album under a microscope, there’s virtually nothing to dislike about it. It’s practically perfect in every conceivable way. Buy it on Bandcamp, or at the next show. 5 stars out of 5!