Fuck you, I know it’s late, Steel! Though, not due to anyone’s fault but my own as work sucks me deep into its asshole, suffocating me in its rectal perfume. I know, that’s bearly an excuse for a release with this level of furriness. Finally, with my head pulled from my work’s dismal sphincter, I set off to pen a review of Bear Mace’s newest offering, Slaves of the Wolf. As the Sugar bear licks the shit from my hair, and tickles my ballsack ever so gently with his grizzly claws, I dive straight into the wolf’s den to see what all the fuss is about. To my wondering eyes appears… a motherfucking blood bath. Standing knee deep in a mixture of human, wolf, and bear blood, what remains is almost as appalling as next week’s reissue of Load. To my left, I hear a twig snap. Standing in silhouette are five bloody dudes and a bear with a fucking mace. Shit, is that Kam Lee scurrying up a tree like a spider monkey? I’m afraid to know what comes next, but there isn’t much I can do about it. I left Steel‘s loaner gun in the car, and I haven’t run this inebriated since high school. Fucking lolz.
Can you believe it’s been five fucking years since Charred Field of Slaughter? And, boy, was that a fun record, improving the production and performances significantly from Bear Mace’s debut, Butchering the Colossus. On the surface, Slaves of the Wolf is a logical continuation of its predecessor, combining deathilicious songwriting in the vein of Death, Massacre, Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, and more, not to mention the subtle inclusions of thrash and harmonizing guitar work that bring the music even further back in time. The latterest is especially more predominant on this record than the previous two, as Sugar and Bellino up their game, adding additional texture to their slimy, grimy fur. They even pulled Kam Lee, screaming and crying, from that thorny tree to participate in “Captured and Consumed.” So, that’s what he’s doing here.
Slaves of the Wolf begins with one of the best pieces on the record. The title track opens with a mid-paced chug that morphs into a nasty death charge as Scearce’s rough-and-ready growls come out to play. Slaying through riff after riff, the intensity hits its peak in the massively memorable chorus. For nearly five minutes, the band takes you through a journey of classic death carnage, sidetracking only long enough to deliver some impressive dueling guitar solos. “The Iceman Cometh” is equally as aggressive, while also delivering some of the best back-and-forth soloing acrobatics. What makes it different from the title track is the punishing thrash lick that rips through the airwaves. Top it off with another hooking chorus, and you have a pair that represents a quintessential match made in heaven.
A review of Slaves of the Wolf isn’t complete without talking about “Captured and Consumed” and Kam Lee’s vocal contribution. Dripping with old-school attitude, this track is a riff machine with thick layers of death-infused sinisterness from the legend of Massacre. For five minutes, you are bludgeoned, beaten, and left for dead as every new riff change tears at your intestines from front, back, and side, while the slick guitar leads slit your throat. For unforgiving brutality, go no further than the exquisite “Prophecy.” Over ten years and three albums in existence, I don’t think I’ve ever heard the band so fucking heavy. To mix things up, “Prophecy” opens with a vicious assault and perfectly mapped solos before the Bolt Thrower-inspired, concrete-splitting riff hits. And, when it hits, holy shit. Follow-up track and closer, “Cancerous Winds,” is another unique piece, not for its aggressiveness, but for its melodic beauty. After dragging you through nonstop pickery, it restarts with a heavy, slow-moving riff until, out of nowhere, the guitars begin singing a soothing lullaby, wrapping you in a warm blanket of melody.
In general, there isn’t much to say negatively about Slaves of the Wolf. The only glaring issue it has on repeat listens is the album’s front half. The strong title track sets the mood perfectly before the follow-up track, “Worthless Lives,” drags it back down. While this mucky piece ain’t bad, the momentum drops significantly. And it doesn’t fully recover until two tracks later with “The Iceman Cometh.” From there, the rest of the album is absolutely relentless, which I had hoped for from beginning to end. Without this momentum drop, I could see this album scoring higher. Regardless, Slaves of the Wolf is a touch better than Charred Field of Slaughter, proving this five-piece can continue to deliver and intrigue my grumpy old soul. Regardless of whether you’re a Bear Macer, if you’re tired of the experimental death metal that continues to poison the sump, Slaves of the Wolf is here to obliterate you.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: bandcamp.com | facebook.com/bearmace1
Releases Worldwide: June 6th, 2025
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