Great new music – WolfWolf

Known for their heady mix of gothic-blues infused garage punk, Swiss Duo WolfWolf ‘s recently released fourth album, Totentanz (which translates as ‘Dance of Death‘) is a tantalisingly offbeat proposition. Rumbling and growling like a krautrock Tom Waits, the duo’s spooky new LP introduces listeners to a dark and macabre universe filled with freaks and dark, foreboding creatures.

As a newcomer to the duo, on first listen a handful of the album’s tracks reminded me of Roky Erickson‘s monster-themed, mid-80s album, Gremlins Have Pictures (a favourite of mine) and some of Jad Fair and Half Japanese‘s horror-themed, heavier moments. And maybe even a whiff of Modest Mouse, Black Sabbath and Queens of the Stone Age, on “Vampire Love,” “Lost“, and “The Falcon” respectively.

Recorded at Food Corner Studio in Rorbas with long-time collaborator Lukas Speissegger, the album blends new wave beats, industrial tones, and Mellotron alongside it’s guttural blues and gritty rock riffs. Songs like “Black Hole” and “Ghost Of Bran” spin stories of despair and ghostly revenge, while “Heavy Sick” dives into a hedonistic and nightmarish night on the piss, and “Holy Water” takes a folky trip into the horrors of religious fanaticism.

Totentanz‘s gnarly blues and gallows humor won’t be to everyone’s taste, but the more I listen to it the more I find myself falling for it’s many gnarly charms (and it’s a must listen for any fans of the handful of artists I’ve referenced above)… But enough waffle, check out the duo’s video for album track “Twenty One” below, and then head to their Bandcamp site over here.