“The Alpha” is the third single by Finnish melodic death metal band WOLFTOPIA. The single, off their 2021 debut album Ways of the Pack, boasts the characteristic fast-paced melodic death metal that the band have become known for since their first release (the 2019 EP I am the Storm). “The Alpha” opens with a frenetic guitar riff by guitarist, singer and frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov. This opening soon settles into a menacing riff accompanied by the unforgiving blast-beats of drummer Tom Israels and pounding lines of bassist Tim Reus.

Okhotnikov explains that the song is about the chaos of nature: the breath of the wild, the harshness of existing at the mercy of nature, the never-ending, cruel cycle of life… And listening to the song, that’s not hard to imagine. From the first of Okhotnikov’s howls to the tremolo picking and majestic chords by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen, the song breathes that chaos. The melody occupies the middle ranges — neither high nor low — which makes it difficult to interpret, and this interpretation is not aided either by the movement of the melody: it moves up and down at seemingly random intervals, fully encapsulating the unpredictability of the wilderness.

The lyrics tell of dominance in a wolf pack. Okhotnikov admits that the alpha male theory has long been debunked, but the idea persists in popular culture, and it’s an enticing metaphor for the cyclic nature of, well, nature. The alpha leads the pack, grows old, and is replaced by the next alpha. The cycle starts again. That notion of repeating cycles can also be heard in the music. The main melody continues into the verse, and the pre-chorus melody into the chorus, changed but still the same. And this cycle of verse, pre-chorus and chorus repeats throughout the song, too, just like the cycle of nature. The song ends with the introduction melody, but changed yet again. We are back at the start. The cycle is ready to repeat itself. But everything keeps changing. The wilderness is never predictable.

Listen to The Alpha single on:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/rq0n-AlJaVU
Bandcamp: https://wolftopia.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3qv2hHl
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/255817732
Tidal: https://listen.tidal.com/album/196076048
Apple Music: https://apple.co/3qrpYjK

Pre-Order Ways of the Pack CD: https://bit.ly/2WGoRjs
Pre-save Ways of the Pack on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3gWtTzA

Track list:1. Hound of War
2. The Last Embrace of the Mother
3. Wash the Spears
4. We are Pack
5. Predator
6. May He Sever the Shadow
7. The Alpha
8. I am the Storm

Wash the Spears is the second single from the upcoming debut album Ways of the Pack (Out on December 17th 2021 via Inverse Records) by Finnish melodic death metal band WOLFTOPIA. From the catchy guitar chords of the intro, played by frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov, to the last majestic synthetic trumpets and French horns, programmed by Ossi Peltoniemi, this song oozes uncomplicated eighties power metal.

Okhotnikov, also the band’s main songwriter, says that the writing process of “Wash the Spears” started with the main riff. The catchy rhythm and the chord progression, using a large number of major chords, catch the ear and once lodged in the brain, are difficult to forget. But the song also displays Wolftopia’s bombastic side, with a fast-paced, epic chorus and a technical, rock-‘n’-roll-inspired whirlwind of a solo by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen.

The lyrics are inspired, like many of Wolftopia’s songs, by fantasy literature, in this case the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. “Wash the Spears” narrates the lives of a nomadic people surviving, even thriving, in the harshest of desert environments. There are many hardships in life, the song suggests, but with cooperation, dedication and perseverance we can grow and find joy. This sense of strength in community and adversity is also present in the music. In the optimistic sound, full of major chords and memorable rhythms, of course, but also, significantly, in the shouted choirs during the pre-chorus. “Wash the Spears”, they shout: take action, together, and thrive. Sensible advice, certainly, in these trying times.

Listen to Wash The Spears single on:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/f5nYzhnmY54
Bandcamp: https://wolftopia.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3lFaiqA
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/en/album/255785882
Tidal: https://listen.tidal.com/album/196064114/track/196064115
Apple Music: https://apple.co/2YOuvAU

Pre-Order Ways of the Pack CD: https://bit.ly/2WGoRjs 
Pre-save Ways of the Pack on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3gWtTzA 

Track list:

1. Hound of War
2. The Last Embrace of the Mother
3. Wash the Spears
4. We are Pack
5. Predator
6. May He Sever the Shadow
7. The Alpha
8. I am the Storm

Album cover by Roberto Toderico

Finnish melodic death metallers WOLFTOPIA are set to release their debut album Ways of the Pack on December 17th 2021 via Inverse Records.

“Hound of War” is the first single by the melodic death metal band Wolftopia, from the Finnish city of Vaasa. Introducing their 2021 debut album, Ways of the Pack, this is a hard-hitting single that grabs you with the first notes and won’t let you go until the last chords have faded. The song begins with a massive double guitar riff, played aggressively by lead guitarist Topi Karhunen and frontman Aleksander Okhotnikov and supported by the wild double bass drums of Tom Israels and growling bass guitar of Tim Reus. The song opens up hard, shakes the listener awake, and drags them into the aggressive, fast and bombastic world of Wolftopia.

Okhotnikov explains that the song was inspired by the Gothenburg death metal scene, and that inspiration of the band’s western neighbours can be heard in the riffs. “Hound of War” might be one of the more straightforward songs on the album, but it expresses perfectly what Wolftopia is all about: fast-paced, melodic and atmospheric death metal. This is evident from the crunchy double guitar riffs in the introduction and verses, but also from the majestic solo by lead guitar virtuoso Karhunen and the brooding bridge, glowering with power chords and a heavy bass sound.

This brooding aggression might be a surprise for those who look at the inspiration for the lyrics. The words tell of the wolfhound Huan, from the classic J. R. R. Tolkien love story of Beren and Lúthien. The story isn’t only about love, however: it also asserts that destiny is foretold and can’t be denied. And that’s the angle that “Hound of War” focuses on. The threatening bridge and the sorrowful, emotional guitar solo and outro are a representation of this struggle to accept our destiny.

Listen to Hound of War single on:
Youtube: https://youtu.be/Cf-nKktPn-E
Bandcamp: https://wolftopia.bandcamp.com
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3zT9AdQ
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/254413772
Tidal: https://listen.tidal.com/album/195144833/track/195144835
Apple Music: https://apple.co/38MsMOr

Pre-Order Ways of the Pack CD: https://bit.ly/2WGoRjs 
Pre-save Ways of the Pack on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3gWtTzA

Track list:

1. Hound of War
2. The Last Embrace of the Mother
3. Wash the Spears
4. We are Pack
5. Predator
6. May He Sever the Shadow
7. The Alpha
8. I am the Storm

Album cover by Roberto Toderico