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“Combine TESTAMENT riffing with MEGADETH harmonies and METALLICA-style vocals –
but without stealing anything – you get an idea of the WOLFPACK UNLEASHED
sound.“---Wops Koch,
WPU guitarist A natural-born leader and never a follower of the latest trends,
Koch chose to dedicate himself to Thrash Metal and formed a band in 1995: “When
we started making music, our home country was mostly known for Death and Black
Metal.” Though the early musical beginnings favored the style of the Germanic
Thrash bands, Koch soon evolved to incorporate the sound of the Bay Area Thrash
Metal greats–precise, melodic, yet heavy—such as Metallica, Exodus, Megadeth, or
Testament. Koch states, “I realized quickly that all classic Thrash riffs had
already been written, so we used minor chords and melodies to create a unique
sound.” Though the band split up, Koch soon met the pride of the Dsseldorf
Drummers Institute, Daniel Haberl, and the duo formed WPU in January 2005.
Shortly thereafter, the band recruited Karl Preininger, a highly technical and
skilled guitar player. Koch et al had a clear picture of the vocalist-to-be that
would complete this line-up. “We didn’t want a screamer who kills all harmonies
and melodies by barking all time. That’s the way most other modern Thrash bands
do it, and each time they sound like a crappy version of Slayer. Gnther (Wirth)
has a natural, rough voice that fits our music perfectly.” The band worked on
the first songs and finished their demo, The Art Of Resistance, in early 2006.
Rather than knocking on the doors of random labels, WPU released the demo on
their own, sending it off to selected media outlets. The four Austrians took
their home country by storm, immediately earning the respect of the
international underground media, which was quick to recognize WPU’s talents.
Rock Hard Italy wrote “a logical evolution of METALLICAs Golden Age” and voted
The Art Of Resistance as best demo of the month. Germany’s Heavy Magazine
praised WPU as “a furious Thrash-firework.” Legacy Magazine was reminded of
“METALLICA back in the Master of Puppet days and old MEGADETH releases.” And the
German Metal Hammer heard a “mixture of MEGADETH’s Rust in Peace and METALLICAs
Black album -- on speed.” Armed with the fantastic feedback coming from both the
fans and press alike, WPU approached several record labels, finally signing on
to Napalm Records. Anthems Of Resistance voices precisely that for which WPU
stands for: intelligent, technically superb, melodic Thrash Metal that covers a
wide stylistic spectrum to include fast, double bass-inspired tracks (“Last
Dance Of A Dying King”), as well as mid-tempo stompers (“Next Victim”), and
high-speed Thrash massacres (“Religion Of Control”). Lyrically, WPU
unapologetically tackles the hypocritical views inherent in today’s society,
including classic antiwar themes in their songs, which clearly express their
views about religious extremism. The Austrians also provoke with lyrics about
Beethoven’s final hours (“Eroica”), abuse, abortion, and personal loss.
The trite trends of the day prove the antithesis of WOLFPACK UNLEASHED. Koch
states, “We don’t have breakdowns, nor hip-hop beats, nor stylish tattoos paid
by daddy, and certainly no emo haircuts. Thrash is not music with which to get
rich fast. It’s music for the idealist.”
INFO
FROM www.napalmrecords.com
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