Captors by Wolves At The Gate

Reviewed by Graeme Crawford

By all accounts, Cedarville, Ohio's Wolves At The Gates made quite an impression with their EP, so this debut full-length album has been hotly anticipated. The band are now on their third drummer since they first formed, and have also changed the screaming vocalist since the release of the EP. They have a great marriage of clean and screaming vocals, like many bands these days. The lead mic is shared evenly between clean singer Steve Cobucci, who also plays guitar, and screamer Nick Detty. They are both really good and could be frontmen in their own right, but the way the two are mixed in the songs gives WATG an additional dimension to their music. The music also fits both vocal styles perfectly so neither seems out of place and they can interchange seamlessly. There are elements of Oh Sleeper, Thrice, Underoath, Chasing Victory and many others in there, but the sharp melodic riffing and deep, heavy rhythm section are very much their own. Unlike a lot of their contemporaries though, they are openly Christian in their lyrics. "We press on the Kingdom of God", "You are unchanging, still the immutable God", "Awake my soul, oh Lord", "The only hope is found in Him, cry out to God!" gives a selection of what is offered. It's not perfect though, as "Through The Night" and "In Your Wake" sound a bit jaded. But on the plus side, the epic closer "Man Of Sorrows" provides the highest point with the rest not far behind. WATG have managed to deliver a record that is positive and full of hope, while still being dark and heavy. And most importantly, 'Captors' is very, very good.