The latest signing to Nuclear Blast’s Arising Empire imprint is the dreadfully-named To The Rats And Wolves, and their clunky moniker isn’t their only problem.
Neverland has moments of potential, but is let down by overproduction, a reliance on synths and questionable lyrics. Opener Suburban Romance builds up from a reverbed riff to a screamed verse underpinned with the kind of electro-metal that might soundtrack an Xbox shoot-’em-up.
Nico Sallach has a powerful voice, but he’s doing battle with beats programmed at breakneck speed. Dead By Dawn is an aggressive track with nu-metal inspired riffs, and Roadsick is a stirring melodic anthem that’s only let down by the incessant synthesised beats. Ghosts is where TTRAW come into their own – they harness the cheese to unleash a believable post-breakup ballad.
Crass lyrics are what lets them down, though; Blackout’s ‘I forgot who I am/I will never drink again’ is something we can all relate to, but there are better ways to word it.
