Norwegian band Wolves Like Us have been quietly blowing my socks off for years now, despite gaining more or less zero traction in the metal scene. Reason for that is they’re not really metal at all—despite a long alliance with Prosthetic Records and some pretty huge guitar sounds, Wolves Like Us actually deal in a sort of melodic, emotion-driven post-hardcore. The band takes the best parts of Hot Water Music and Quicksand, heavies it up, adds in some weirdness, and comes out the other end with incredible songs like the fantastic opening one-two punch here on their fourth album of the title track (simple, catchy, driving) and the phenomenal “Property of Dortmund.” That song is this album’s highlight and exactly the reason why I love this band so much, but also the reason why they’re so hard to sell: they’re really difficult to figure out. 

Planes Mistaken for Stars is a good reference point, but at this point Wolves Like Us just sound like Wolves Like Us, songs like “I Can’t Love You Wild Enough” showing how much impact the band has when they take things to a quieter place (briefly), while “Devil Stare, Part Two” shows off the band’s heavier side, with huge riffs all over the place. The groove-ridden “On The Low” is post-hardcore done to perfection; “Plastic On The Fire” is melodic, atmospheric sludge delivered with passion. “Stand Up To Get Down” closes off the record with a simple, driving rocker, rounding off another varied, moving, and fantastic Wolves Like Us album. Don’t miss out on this band.