### Wolfpack Unleashed: Anthems of resistance

#### 07/03/11 || InquisitorGeneralis

I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running around the desert together in Las Vegas, looking for strippers and cocaine.

Wolfpack Unleashed are a better-than-average heavy thrash band from Austria. This one sentence alone gives me multiple options for the humorous side of this review; do I go after the band’s goofy name? Or, do I take my stabs at Austria and encourage everyone to get the chopper? Or, do I just show this (look to the right asshole) totally awesome picture that graces the ill-fitting t-shirts that barely cover the bulging bellies of 1,000,000 American rednecks on a daily basis? One thing I do know for sure is Wolfpack Unleashed thankfully don’t completely suck because, in the words of the immortal Darth Vader, this review would be all too easy if they did. Don’t worry though, I’ll give that name and those pesky Austrians their cumuppin’s before this is all said and done.

First, the tunes. If you like the sound of albums like Exodus’ “The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A”, Destruction’s “The Anti-Christ”, or anything new by Kreator then you should give Wolfcock Unzipped a listen. Sure they repeat a few riffs here and there (especially the machine-gun one that appears over several double-bass heavy sections) but the Wolfpack bring enough aggression and heaviness to keep me interested. There is nothing original on here, so don’t expect some new metal revelation. However, the songs are good and the production is as clean as my anus after I pay a $10 hooker to toss ye ole salad. This is not retro at all. This is modern death metal influenced, war-themed thrash.

High points on “Anthems of Resistance” start off with the heavy opener “Last dance of a dying king”; a pretty killer track that follows the standard double-bass heavy formula of modern thrash but still is enjoyable. “Religion of control” is another winner and features a pretty cool Middle-Eastern intro along with some tasty anti-religion lyrics that most people around here at Global Domination will appreciate. It seems like “Religion of control” is directed towards those happy-go-lucky jihadists who brainwash people into suicide-bombing kindergartens, but ze prophet Mohammed is not mentioned specifically. If Kampfar were still here, he would have some much more colorful things to say about this subject. Fuck those douchebags though; when the oil runs out so will anyone in the world giving a shit. Moving on…

While they lose points in the creative song name department, tracks like “Killing fields” and “Warzone” continue the modern thrash assault. While not nearly as awesome as their northern neighbors Dew-Scented, Wolfpack Unleashed do bring in some nice death elements and even a few melodic sections that also help “Anthems of Resistance” stand out. There is clearly no lack of talent, especially in the drumming department. No, Wolfgang and Karl are not the stars of an Austrian Gay Porn (which could be called “Sucking the Vienna Sausage”), they are the decently talented guitarist duo of Wolfpack Unleashed who, despite a few bouts with repetition, manage to pump out a noticeable amount of good riffs and solos. Günther Wirth does bass and vocal duties fairly well, although at some points he sounds like he is going for a “Ride the Lightning” era James Hetfield impression which is fairly funny when paired up with his noticeable Austrian accent.

Speaking of which, I did not really make fun of Austria in this review so here are some quick bursts. Franz Joseph had a douchetastic mustache. And thanks for that Hitler guy. You can have Arnold back now and the rest of California too if you want it. Fuck, Austria is a pretty nice place and hard to rip on! I don’t really know what there is to resist there though. Does the Wolfpack have a problem with beautiful mountain views? Or Ricola? Or Lederhosen? I’m perplexed.

Anyway, “Anthems of Resistance” is an album you should check out if Dew-Scented, Carnal Forge, Deathchain, and current Exodus are what you like. If there was a 6.75 I would give it that, but since I am in a good mood here is what Wolfpack Unleashed and their version of modern war-thrash receive…

- Information
- Released: 2007
- Label: Napalm Records
- Website: www.Wolfpackunleashed.com
- Band
- Günther “Tschunta” Wirth: vocals, bass
- Wolfgang “Wops” Koch: guitars
- Karl “Karlovacko” Preininger: guitars
- Daniel “Haunz” Haberl: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Last Dance of a Dying King
- 02. Religion of Control
- 03. Next Victim
- 04. Killing Fields
- 05. Disgrace Erased
- 06. Warzone
- 07. To Challenge Death
- 08. Eroica
- 09. Wolfpack Unleashed