Search - Wolf Eyes :: Human Animal (Dig)

Lurking, haunting megabeast attacks

0=0 | Earth | 10/21/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was sorry I missed Wolf Eyes when they came to town. After reading and hearing lots of good things about them and seeing the excellent new cover art, I had to buy this cd out of curiosity, since I don't own anything else by them yet. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. It's not pure noise like some people would accuse them of being. In fact, this album has a very paced feel to it, and the rhythmic quality is subtle. I grew up on lots of industrial, and a low-fi, angrier Skinny Puppy comes to mind somewhat. I like the grittiness of this music--the addition of squonking, squeaking horns and the use of fat, crunchy, tough as steel drum machine rhythms and beats. The first three tracks start off slowly, and I imagine a once sleeping beast (the cover art helps with visualization here) slowly rising from its slumber, covered in sludge, lumbering through a foggy swamp, searching for its target until track four, when it pauses, sees its prey or enemy and goes ape. These guys masterfully create a mood and an atmosphere and take you somewhere with their music.



"Human Animal" is obviously a very dark album, as also indicated by its curious track titles. At only about thirty-five minutes I wish it was a little longer. But maybe the shotness is a good thing because I think many listeners might come off from this bleak, bold sound-trip somewhat exhausted by the time it ends. Not for the timid."

Big bad wolf

Scott Bresinger | New York, USA | 09/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Since their last album for Sub Pop, Wolf Eyes have released something like a dozen albums (!), and that's not counting their collaboration with avant-jazz pioneer Anthony Braxton. Of course, these things were released on either tiny micro-labels or plain old CD-Rs, and finding them might be difficult even on the web. Of course, many of us weren't really looking anyway. In any event, the Wolf-men are back (semi) overground with album number two for Sub Pop. Call it an "official" release if you must, but the main question casual fans might ask is how the band has progressed in the last two years and dozen obscure releases. The answer to that is "not much" or "are you kidding?" The new album basically treads the same stylistic ground, which is basically noise, and lots of it. Usually this involves synths and other digital equipment being abused so thoroughly it sounds more effed-up than the contents of Mel Gibson's skull after a weeklong booze binge. Of course, rather than ranting about Jews killing Jesus or Buddha or Elvis, Wolf Eyes are more interested in things like "Rationed Rot" or "Lake of Roaches" (actual song titles!). The few tracks that have any vocals at all are unintelligable, said vocalist sounding like Skinny Puppy's Ogre being given a tonsilectomy with a blowtorch. Actually, about half the album doesn't even bother with any type of rhythm, instead oozing and flowing like a river of New Jersey toxic sludge being funneled through your ear canals. Still, you want progression? Okay, a couple of tracks feature some wounded elephant saxophone. Think that'll win 'em a Grammy?"

Album of 2006

Ian Smith | UK | 03/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wolf Eyes are one of the most important bands around. They need to be noticed by more and more people, simply so that their re-imagining of noise and music can be heard. A magazine review claimed that WE were inventing a new musical language, and I really believe this to be the case.

Certainly it will not be to everyones tastes, but that isn't the point. Like Merzbow, Jazkamer and Kevin Drumm, this album shows the possibilities that exist outside a simply musical approach to sound, and shows that anything is possible.

This album is a huge quantum leap forward from Burned Mind, and I cannot wait to hear their next emission..."