This was the second album from Trancecore band To The Rats and Wolves, from Essen. Formed in 2012 they broke up in 2020 following one more full-length, which is a real shame as this has some promise within it. Due not just to the name they remind me quite a bit of Written By Wolves, another band who mix deathcore with dance other genres to create something different to much of the norm. The sextet had two singers in Dixi Wu and Nico Sallach, twin guitarists Marc Dobruk and Danny Güldener plus the rhythm section of Stanislaw “Stanni” Czywil (bass) and drummer Simon Yildirim. The two singers have very different approaches to each other, but are complementary while Dixi, Marc, Danny and Stanni had been members of Beast War returns prior to the formation of TTRAW so know exactly who each works and are very tight indeed.

This style of music is not to everyone’s tastes in that it mixes what many people think of as opposing genres, namely dance and metal, and deathcore is in itself one of my least favourite metal sub genres, but when trancore is done well then it can create vibes unlike any other. There are times when TTRAW do just that, getting the dance and metal playoff just right, the energy coming from both sides to create something which is inspired and dramatic. However, unfortunately there are also times when the metal is somewhat spoiled by some insipid keyobards and others where the guitars wash over the top and spoil the desired effect. When they get the mix right, with all six of them firing then this is an impressive album, it is just that it is not like that all the way through. One can certainly hear why they were picked up by Nuclear Blast though.

Rating: 7/10

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/totheratsandwolves
https://www.nuclearblast.com/