Wolves at the Gate, the post-hardcore band from Dayton, Ohio, has returned with their latest EP, “Back To School,” which is an EP that covers post-hardcore founders such as Thrice, Thursday, The Receiving End of Sirens and Blindside.
Post-hardcore band Wolves at the Gate’s latest EP covers classic post-hardcore hits
Now that the post-hardcore/hardcore/metalcore/insert-descriptive-name-here-core is no longer a blooming genre – it can be argued that it’s hit a plateau – it is refreshing that bands such as WATG are keeping ‘core’ flame alive. Their 2012 album “Captors” was a unique blend of post-hardcore that seemed to dip into straight-up hardcore at times (“Amnesty” and “Awaken”) and other times it was just difficult to define (“Man of Sorrows” and “Safeguards”). Whatever the case, the definition isn’t the point – the point is that it was a fast-paced, fresh post-hardcore album, devoid of generic staccato riffs, excessive growls and/or screams, cheesy high-pitched vocals and over-ripened bass drops that plague modern post-hardcore.
“Back to School” is softer compared to “Captors,” “We Are The Ones” and “Pulled From the Deep.” It’s not surprising, since they cover early 2000s post-hardcore which was generally not as rhythmically and vocally intense. Songs include “Understanding a Car Crash” (Thursday), “Deadbolt” (Thrice), “Planning a Prison Break” (The Receiving End of Sirens) and “Sleepwalking” (Blindside).
“Understanding a Car Crash” tears in with a faster pace and richer screams. If Thursday’s was the sad version, WATG’s is the angry one. The screams in Thursday’s sound strained and flat – this is not to criticize them as they are excellent in their own way – but with WATG’s screaming vocalist Nick Detty, it’s as if the song’s unfortunate subject matured his sorrow, coming back with a vengeance.
One of the more anticipated covers was Thrice’s “Deadbolt” (from their sophomore album, “The Allusion of Safety”). While Thrice – especially old Thrice – rocked a diamond-in-the-ruff sound with Kensrue’s scratchy vocals and their dirty distortion, WATG’s cover is the diamond in the jewelry store. Perhaps the cleaner sound is a product of modern post-hardcore, but it doesn’t sound over-produced and it respects the original. It’s a different cut.
There was no alternate twist to Thrice’s cryptic piano outro in the original, but redemption lies between Detty’s screaming and the fact that they covered a Thrice song.
The standout song was their cover of “Planning a Prison Escape,” which ditched distortion in exchange for acoustic serenity. Steve Cobucci, the lead singer for WATG, said he appreciated the complexity of the melody and thought it could be better expressed in acoustic form. Perhaps it’s for the better, as the song deals with a man struggling with alcohol abuse. Is the cover an update in which the subject is trying one more time to escape his prison, but this time knowing it’s in vain and that’s why the solemn tone? Or has he defeated his vice, but is remembering his past struggles in a gloomy nightmare?
“Sleepwalking” was a slightly heavier version than Blindside’s, which gave Detty plenty of time to let loose on the vocals. While it’s still a good cover, it’s the least unique of all the other songs, and it’s the most similar to its predecessor.
With a genre like post-hardcore, the vocals play a major role in determining a song’s worth. To compare Cobucci’s vocals to any of the bands WATG covered is like trying to claim Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt” is better than Johnny Cash’s, or vice-versa. That’s comparing Industrial Rock to Country Rock, and it’s fundamentally unfair to declare either one superior by comparing genres (to further complicate this analogy, check out what I consider a terrible cover of “Hurt” by Hundreth). Rather, both versions of these songs are classic in their own way. It works the same when comparing the covers in “Back to School” with the originals. With the song “Understanding a Car Crash,” on one hand you have Geoff Rickly (Thursday), whose voice is sharp, short and direct. On the other hand you have Cobucci’s gravely and deeper voice that can blend into a scream. Both versions are good in their own way.
Overall, “Back to School” is an excellent modern retelling of retro post-hardcore. Cobucci said the purpose of the EP was to go back to the roots of what influenced their music, and they did just that. While the EP toned down WATG’s normal volume, it also sharpened the original’s edge, thanks to Detty’s raucous screams, heavier distortion and a faster rhythm, which brands the covers as WATG’s own.
