Review Summary: Haste the Day ended their career with their most prominent album, just short of a masterpiece.
Haste the Day have had a tough time being a band. Every album they released practically had a different line up, which is almost never the best route to go, but they didn't want it to end. It came down to one original member left. The constant changing of the band is most likely what had them end it. Thankfully, before they disbanded they left us with their best effort yet, and not a "Dreamer" part 2. Attack of The Wolf King is much different from anything they've really put out in the past, and that is a compliment.
The album kicks off right from the start with the song, "Wake up the Sun", with a pretty fast and technical guitar riff that is very pleasing to the ears. It is a sure sign of what is to come later in the album. That is one thing that is significantly different about AofWK, and that is technicality. There is a lot of advanced time signatures, guitar riffs, and drum fills. Not to mention I can actually here the bass. I can actually hear the bass! Also the breakdowns in this LP aren't overdone, they are just right, nothing to shield your ears over. The overall tone is crisp, fast, and well produced.
Some of the highlight tracks in this album I would confirm to be "Dog like Vultures", "Travesty", "The Un-Manifest", "The Place that Most Deny", and "White as Snow." Diving in shortly, I'll explain what makes these tracks the most noteworthy. "Dog like Vultures" is one of the more smooth and slightly soothing tracks in the album, as it starts out with a some flat eerie guitar riffs and some background chugs that work very well. Shortly Stephen (lead vocalist/screamer) makes his approach and it changes into a catchy chorus with his clean vocals. It's a smooth and easy to follow song that works. "Travesty" is most likely the best song on the album. It zooms into speed with the catchiest riff on the album, as Stephen screams "You cover me!" I get goosebumps every time from that. The clean vocals on the chorus are the best, very catchy, and just ear pleasing all around. "The Un-manifest" has a gritty, technical, and just spooky intro that I love. It gets you pumped and psyched out. Mid way through, the breakdown is just amazing, not just some simple bass drop. It proceeds with some an eerie guitar screech, fast paced drum fills, and finishes with Stephen growling, "Abandon all Hope!" Simply fantastic. "The Place that Most Deny" is probably the lowest song tune wise. Very deep beginning guitar parts begin the song off and some very mind crushing drones come into place a little later in the song that are just absolutely aggressive. "White as Snow", the last one I believe to be a stand out track is a full throughout clean song. No screams, it's a nice break from the aggression the album gives, and Michael's vocals are beautifully done in this song.
Now what stops this album from making it a masterpiece? I'll talk some more about a couple tracks and little things that kind of tripped the experience. "The Quiet, Deadly Ticking" I felt was kind of forgettable at times. It felt heavy just for the sake of it, and if they changed the mood a little more on this song I feel it could have been better. "Merit for Sadness" kind of follows along the same lines as I just said, only this song could have been more aggressive than mellow. The chorus just doesn't seem all that great, especially the lyrics in the chorus, "Open my heart to sadness. It's though the pain that I believe (It's in the pain that I can see). Love is alive in darkness. The waters may rise but your hand carries me" I feel that Stephen's cheerful vocals just didn't fit that as well, I feel those lines should be more dark. Also an overall thing about the album, is perhaps a slight lack of variety. I wouldn't recommend listening to the entire thing in one take unless you really need to, just so you don't get bored, because every song deserves it's "air time" on the album.
Stephen's vocals on this album are my favorite. I wouldn't say they have really improved all that much, but his high and mid screams have a new raspy and gritty tone to it, which I feel suits the crisp tone of the album nicely. Michael's clean vocals on "White as Snow" are magnificent. I do believe he has improved on this release compared to earlier albums. One thing listeners may not be that fond of, is while both of the two singers cleans are very good, they might come off as whiny sometimes, some people don't really like that. Lyrics are well thought out too. There really isn't anything throughout the album that I cringed or didn't like lyrical wise. I personally really like the chorus in Travesty, "You cover the darkest part of me, with a look that's sure to set the captives free. With love that the blindest eyes will see, You cover the darkest part of me. Instrumental as stated above is well produced and more technical than ever before. The drums are just absolutely intense. I'm well pleased that I can actually hear the bass decently. In the track "White as Snow", the bass drifts pretty well with ear buds in.
This is really nothing very close in terms of sound when it comes to their earlier releases like "Burning Bridges" and "Pressure the Hinges." Those albums were definitely good, but AotWK defines a new, not abandoning, but new style to Haste the Day. Fans of previous work might have to listen to this a couple times to appreciate what they have really become, some might now and just love it at the start, as I don't think any previous fan of Haste the Day will absolutely hate this. To those who have never listened to Haste the Day, those who are sick and tired of listening to generic and wimpy metalcore will be happy to hear this. Many listeners among websites have said that this album is reminiscent of August Burns Red some, so if you're into them at all, there's another reason to check this out. It truly is a shame they broke up, but what can you do, may the best be with them whatever they are doing now.
Tracks to Check Out:
Dog Like Vultures
Travesty
The Un-Manifest
The Place that Most Deny
White as Snow
