With sharpened claws and a renewed taste for danger, Adelaide’s theatrical emo/ pop punks Wolf & Chain are back with ‘Taste of Blood’.
With their rock-opera narratives, goth-inspired aesthetics and addictive emo-punk dynamism, Wolf & Chain have been rapidly expanding their cult following since the release of debut EP An Honest Mistake in 2020.
Unsurprisingly, the band’s undeniable magnetism has also sparked intrigue from industry heavyweights, including UNIFIED Music Group, which will be distributing the new single upon its release.
Now, Taste of Blood oozes with unease from the first ominous strum of the guitar as frontman Jack Cumes’ distinctive vocal tone gasps and growls. Suspense builds as the song remains stripped-back and bare, interwoven with spine-chilling notes of piano and choir harmonies. Suddenly, the track erupts post-chorus with racing drums, moreish punk-infused guitars and the disconcertingly sweet ping of a glockenspiel.
Leaching off this high-octane energy, the song dips briefly to make way for a distorted vocal in the chorus before gushing with quintessential punk-rock progressions in the bridge. Waging a battle between the irresistible hype of a thrashing instrumental, the pull of heavily serrated riffs and the desperately screaming vocals of the frontman, the track ends in a three-way tie.
Celebrated for their dramatic narratives and compelling emo-goth influences, Wolf & Chain submit to their darkest urges in Taste of Blood, further explored in their music video, which will have vampire pop-culture fans licking their lips.
Like a scene out of True Blood, the video is set at a vampire bar, with the vampiric band performing on stage as patrons drink from human blood bags and partake in a violent bar fight. Closing the video out, frontman Jack Cumes is tied up by one of the gangs. He is thrown in the boot, begging the question, is this just the beginning of an unfolding narrative?
Written about love turning someone into a monster, Cumes further explains the meaning behind the track:
“Vampires feel like such an appropriate metaphor for this concept of deadly love. Those feelings can often leave you craving them, feeling withdrawals and not sleeping at night. Often romanticised as the idea of spending eternity in love, Taste of Blood portrays this concept with a darker tone. What appears to be a tall, dark, brooding stranger with inexplicable feelings of love is actually a bloodthirsty stalker who will do anything to have you as their own forever.”
Wolf & Chain had a jam-packed schedule ahead of them, joining Paperweights and Isotopes on an interstate tour, but this has been cancelled due to the ongoing lockdowns in Sydney and Melbourne. They will, however, still be going ahead with the Taste of Blood single launch on August 20 at Adelaide’s Crown & Anchor. Tickets HERE.
Taste of Blood is out now on all streaming services.
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