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Californian metal veterans LEATHERWOLF are back with their new studio album, ”Kill The Hunted”, set for release in North America, Europe, South America, and Japan next week. Showcasing the band’s innate ability to create hard driving anthemic melodic metal, “Kill The Hunted” was conceived in 2008 by drummer/producer, Dean Roberts, but not revisited and completed until some ten years later after the band fracturd in the wake of a European tour.
”Kill The Hunted”, which was mixed by legendary producer/engineer, Randy Burns (Megadeth, Kreator) and mastered by Tom Baker (Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe), introduces powerful new vocalist Keith Adamiak, alongside long-time guitarist Rob Math, young shredder Luke Man who first joined the fold in 2017 as a touring member, veteran bassist, Barry Sparks (Michael Schenker Group, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen), and guitarist/keyboardist Wayne Findlay (Michael Schenker Group, Vinnie Moore), to complete the vaunted Triple Axe Attack.
Renowned Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Foreigner, Revolution Saints) appears a guest dropping some killer lead guitar.
”Kill the Hunted” is an 11-course US melodic metal feast for the senses that runs the gamut from visceral daggers such as the in-your-face opener ‘Hit the Dirt’ and shinkicker ‘Madhouse’, to the anthemic ‘Only the Wicked’, the Wolves’ prog minded multi-tier gem ’The Henchman’ (featuring Hoekstra), and the tense and brooding ‘(Evil) Empires Fall’ whose vibe recalls the crushing ‘Kill and Kill Again’ off their eponymous 1984 debut EP.
In a classic full circle moment, Leatherwolf have re-connected with engineer Randy Burns who manned the boards for the aforementioned 1984 EP. Burns was eager to jump aboard and apply his mixing expertise to ”Kill the Hunted” before the files were put into the hands of L.A. mastering legend, Tom Baker (Judas Priest, Bruce Dickinson, Pantera), for the final polish.
The highlight on the album is ‘The Henchman’. With more than six minutes, the track is the central piece on the LP and shows the versatility of Leatherwolf. Especially the vocal performance of Adamiak should be mentioned here praising, who gives the song with his shouts and also his raspy voice a great variation and hardness.
The tempo is increased in ‘Road Rage’ and in ‘Lights Out Again’ the power of the three guitars comes fully to effect. Leatherwolf pair the power of classic metal with good melodies and hooks without slipping into musical no man’s land. The well-made title track is a sparkling example of this and also the gloomy ‘Only the Wicked’ shows the muscle of the band.
”Kill The Hunted” is another strong return of Leatherwolf and even if there were many years between the releases, Dean Roberts has managed to transfer the class and vibe of the band into the present time. Nothing has changed in the foundations of the band and that’s a good thing.
The triple axe attack strikes again.
01. Hit the Dirt (05:41)
02. Nobody (03:31)
03. Kill the Hunted (05:28)
04. Only the Wicked (04:43)
05. Madhouse (03:13)
06. Medusa (04:44)
07. The Henchman (07:00)
08. (Evil) Empires Fall (04:08)
09. Road Rage (03:44)
10. Lights Out Again (03:32)
11. Enslaved (05:20)
Leatherwolf – Kill the Hunted (2022) CD, MP3+FLAC
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