Mitch Hedberg once said (or probably repeated the joke many times, actually), "Because of acid I now know that butter is way better than margarine. I saw through the bullshit." Now, I'm not suggesting the guys in Von Wolfe are on acid, but if they were it would make sense because they have drafted up a blueprint of bullshitless southern hardcore that is more honest, soulful, and heavier than the trendy song and dance acts of similar sounding bands.
When most think southern tinged metallic hardcore there's most likely going to be an echo of Every Time I Die riffs bouncing across ear drums. That's definitely an accurate comparison as Von Wolfe is a very riff heavy band with a noticeable twang. The difference (other than actually being from the south) is Von Wolfe channels a more traditional hardcore influence rather than Lynyrd Skynyrd making out with Poison the Well in an I-10 rest stop stall. There's not any singing or any attempt to water down the metallic riffs so that they'd feel comfortable floating down the Chattooga River like Maylene. No, Von Wolfe's brand of hardcore is more along the lines of pissed off bands like Cursed, or some of the straightened out moments of Converge. The vocals are also a bit on the Cursed side and have that overdriven coarse scream of fellow southerner Josh Scogin of The Chariot.
Their debut EP, Life's a Beach, is fast, heavy, relentless and very well recorded. Sure there's some breakdowns and a couple of two-step moments, but nothing that feels trite or worn out. There isn't much on the record that strays from their formula, but with only an EP's worth of material it doesn't get old and requires a few extra spins to indulge in the havoc (listen to it below).
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