With their debut album Descend, Puke Wolf place themselves as a band with far more interest in emotional weight than stylistic clarity. Bringing key elements from sludge, post-metal and noise-rock, but knotting them together with the winding yarn of post-rock, the Danish group build an album that is dense, punishing and frequently compelling.
Bær opens the record and sets a stark, confrontational tone. The distressed, bellowed vocal delivery and sparse instrumentation create tension, but it’s clearly more like a barren signpost to the road ahead than a fully formed track…a brief taster of what they are truly capable of. When Blood arrives, the sound broadens into a more textured and considered territory. The slow-moving riffs have all the trappings of a great post-rock song, but they are coupled with a raw vocal delivery that brilliantly conveys the distress found within the lyrics. Yes, it may be repetitive. Yes, it may use the somewhat lazy addition of vocal samples. But these are genre shackles that are often utilised in a purely superficial way and here they clearly add value to the development of the track.
Interestingly, this is an album that reveals both promise and inconsistency throughout its 44-minute runtime. Remnants focuses heavily on atmosphere, unfolding at such a glacial pace that some listeners may well lose interest before the eventual payoff. De Sprukne Åndehuller I Den Tavse Hævn is a largely unnecessary interlude that does very little to add to the overall pacing of the record (although it does at least bring in some interesting sampling and electronic elements). By contrast, songs like Oh God, What Have We Done? and Hyena Laugh feel more purposefully shaped, balancing melody and abrasion in a way that gives the song clearer identity. The dynamic shifts within these songs are masterfully placed and show the true extent of Puke Wolf’s ability as songwriters. The harrowing, guilt-ridden cries of “I have to be better” that end Oh God, What Have We Done? are both beautiful and mortifying to listen to…a truly exceptional moment on the record that will stick with the listener long after the album has finished!
In short, this is a balanced, confrontational debut record that shows vast amounts of potential for the Danish trio. If you’re a lover of the sharper end of the post-rock stick, then this is an album you should definitely pay attention to!
Best paired with: A hefty swig of gin, a self-help handbook and a ship in a bottle.
Reviewed by Bryn.
Puke Wolf – Descend is out now on 5FeetUnder Records plus others.
Leave a Reply