Bad Wolves refuse to follow. Instead, the platinum-certified Los Angeles band—John Boecklin [drums], Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz [lead vocals], Doc Coyle [lead guitar, backing vocals], Max Karon [guitar], and Kyle Konkiel [bass, backing vocals]—circumvent convention by stretching the boundaries of hard rock with earthquaking heaviness, enigmatic experimentation, and enthralling melodies.
Bulldozing boundaries is nothing new for the boys though…
Bad Wolves arrived with the rarity and the force of a lightning bolt in 2018. This collective of tried-and-true musicians rallied around an unconventional vision for heavy music, grafting rafter-reaching hooks to pit-splitting riffs and mind-bending rhythms with a penchant for unexpected twists and turns. Their full-length debut, Disobey, bowed in the Top 25 of the Billboard 200 and delivered a platinum single and a gold single. On its heels, they showed no signs of stopping with N.A.T.I.O.N. [2019]. However, Dear Monsters kickstarted another season in 2021 as "Lifeline" netted their sixth #1 at Active Rock Radio. Reaching a critical high watermark, Billboard hailed the latter as "Bad Wolves’ most diverse and far-reaching album to date," and Hysteria raved, "The band has served up something truly monumental." Nearing 1 billion total streams, they sold out headline shows on multiple continents and toured with Five Finger Death Punch, Megadeth, Volbeat, Papa Roach, Falling In Reverse, and Hollywood Undead.
Now, Bad Wolves redefine their sound by burning everything down on their fourth full-length LP, Die About It [Better Noise Music].
"We definitely challenged ourselves to experiment, but we maintained a heavier edge," notes John. "We spent a lot of time making sure these songs weren’t all the same, which was important to us. We tried to push the possibilities of what you can do with heavy music. This is as fresh of a start as you can get on your fourth album."
DL agrees, "This album’s theme is strength and rebirth. It’s about the confident that emerges when you’ve been through the flames. We found power and creativity when we shut the world out."
After joining the group prior to Dear Monsters, DL locked into a creative groove on Die About It. This time around, he greatly contributed to the lyrics and the overall process. Meanwhile, the collective nodded to inspirations as diverse as The 1975 and Meshuggah, Sevendust, and Pantera. Gelling everything together, John and DL co-produced the album with trusted collaborator Josh Gilbert [As I Lay Dying].
"We went to the far ends of the really soft and the extreme," says DL "We made it a point to separate ourselves from the past and make this our own."
That’s precisely what they did with the opener and first single "Bad Friend." Lilting clean guitar underlines a delicate melody from DL only to turn on a dime into a downright nasty trudging guitar groove. It climaxes on a crushingly catchy chorus, "My hands are bound, I’ll see you around, ‘cause bad friends die alone."
"It’s very naked and vulnerable with this lullaby intro, but it transforms into a knife," John notes. "The music speaks to the dichotomy of when a bad friend takes you by surprise and stabs you in the back."
Meanwhile, "Legends Never Die" builds towards a skyscraping refrain boosted higher by hypnotic harmonies and a head-nodding riff. Once again, they flip the script as DL nimbly raps the bridge before a soaring solo and starry-eyed piano outro.
"We all have legends in our lives, whether they’re our parents, grandparents, kids, or spouse," DL continues. "The message is, ‘It’s never goodbye, but see you later’."
Then, there’s "NDA." The chorus conjures a flurry of tension and anxiety, "All night, all day, NDA on replay, in my head, what you said." It dips into truly unexpected territory with a swooning saxophone solo by Saxl Rose.
John recalls, "We thought, ‘How do we not repeat ourselves?’ It sounds like a brain connecting neurons. For me, it works emotionally."
"Savior" ignites one of the boldest and biggest hooks of their career thus far, "Be my savior, because I’m lost." The title track "Die About It" sums up the next era. Once again, DL grabs the mic and spits pure fire offset by a distorted crunch, double bass barrage, and guttural screams. He promises, "No one cares who it is that you blame today, hope you find happiness so your soul can change, I’m not your enemy, just set yourself free."
"‘Die About It’ is a ‘fuck you’ to anyone who is trying to take this from us," DL exclaims. "We’ve all gone through hell. We’re putting all of the negativity in a box and burying it. Looking at opinions, we would be like, ‘If you’re going to cry about it, you might as well die about it’. You’re either with us or against us, but we’re not going anywhere."
John adds, "Maybe it’s not worth it for people to die on these hills they constantly whine about on social media. It’s basically, ‘Shut the fuck up and get away from me’."
In the end, Bad Wolves are starting this chapter on their own terms.
"To me, the record sounds like a band that is not stopping or giving up," John leaves off. “We’re hungry. We’re driven. We’re not beaten down. I know we didn’t half-ass it. Ultimately, Bad Wolves is a family. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s here." – Rick Florino, July 2023
