Alpha Wolf may be the biggest heavy band to come out of Australia since Parkway Drive, and they have a lot to live up to with their new record Half Living Things.
The album released on Friday, April 5 follows the group's 2020 LP A Quiet Place to Die, which made it to No. 6 on the albums chart in their home country.
"I'm always shocked when I see that Australia has our back that hard," vocalist Lochie Keogh told Q.
The new record includes a feature from Ice-T on the track 'Sucks 2 Suck.'
Alpha Wolf leaned into the rap element of their nu metalcore sound on the brash and infectiously bouncy new album. That tendency is most evident on their single "Sucks 2 Suck," which includes a feature from Ice-T.
The collaboration meant a lot to Keogh, who grew up listening to the rapper with his dad and watching him on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He found out about Ice-T's rap metal band Body Count years later when he started getting into the scene.
"It was just sort of really strange to have everything I was into cross over like that," the frontman said.
Alpha Wolf put the single out alongside a paranormal high school-themed music video. Keogh appeared to embody the band's moniker by donning a letterman and taking on a jock persona.
But the vocalist said it was all for the laughs: "We are the biggest f--king soyboys ever."
The band's name is actually a reference to the 2011 Liam Neeson thriller The Grey, not a person's place in the social food chain.
The term "wasn't as big of a word in the Andrew Tate sphere" when Alpha Wolf was founded in 2013, Keogh said. "We're just sort of leaning into it because it does make it extra funny."
These days the group is based in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city. But the original lineup formed on Tasmania, a sparsely-populated island off the nation's southern coast.
Alpha Wolf's bassist John Arnold and rhythm guitarist Sabian Lynch were part of the straight edge scene in the island's largest city Hobart. Both have since broken edge.
The pair played together in a deathcore band called Anguish before they formed the earliest iteration of Alpha Wolf as a more traditional hardcore act.
Arnold and Lynch were inspired to change their sound again after flying to see Emmure play in Melbourne.
The two bands remain close to this day. Emmure brought Alpha Wolf on their first international tour. Now the Connecticut group will open for Alpha Wolf on their upcoming North American tour.
Bands in the U.S. may think they have it rough when it comes to touring a vast nation, but the distance between Australian population centers make those trips seem like a joyride. That's even more true in a remote locale like Hobart, which is why Alpha Wolf quickly relocated to Melbourne.
Keogh said this challenging geography is why Australian bands that do make it onto the international stage "come out absolutely swinging."
Alpha Wolf's global profile is growing, which is why they've signed to SureTone Records for their U.S. and international releases. But in Australia the band still puts their music out on a homegrown label called Greyscale Records.
The company was founded by Joshua Merriel, the host of Australia's only nationally-syndicated punk radio show Short.Fast.Loud, and a Melbourne concert promoter named Ash Hull.
Never miss a story — sign up for the Q newsletter for the latest music news on all your favorite artists, all in one place.
The band's previous record 'A Quiet Place to Die' made it to No. 6 on the Australian albums chart.
Still, Keogh said the heavy music scene in Australia is currently going through a rough patch: "There's not a lot going on." the vocalist said. "The bands that do play don't really have many genuine fans."
He attributed some of this to the younger generation's lack of interest in concerts. Alpha Wolf always tries to set up at least one all-ages show on each of their Australian tours, but there's often just not enough demand to make those events financially feasible.
"It's the kids, man," said Keogh, who's just 27.
Before Alpha embarks on their North American tour, they'll celebrate Half Living Things with an intimate album release show at a small venue in Melbourne.
"The plan is to just get a bunch of psycho motherf--kers in a room and play a bunch of songs," Keogh said.
Check out a full list of the upcoming North American dates below:
4/12 — Mesa, AZ — The Nile Theatre
4/13 — Los Angeles, CA — The Regent Theater
4/14 — Roseville, CA — Goldfield Trading Post
4/16 — Portland, OR — Hawthorn Theatre
4/17 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon
4/19 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Depot
4/20 — Denver, CO — The Oriental Theater
4/21 — Lawrence, KS — Granada Theater
4/23 — Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater
4/25 — Milwaukee, WI — The Rave II
4/26 — Joliet, IL — The Forge
4/27 — Detroit, MI — St Andrew's Hall
4/28 — Columbus, OH — The King of Clubs
4/30 — Nashville, TN — Eastside Bowl
5/1 — Charlotte, NC — The Underground
5/3 — Ft Lauderdale, FL — Revolution
5/4 — Tampa, FL — The Orpheum
5/5 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade Heaven
5/7 — Richmond, VA — Canal Club
5/8 — Baltimore, MD — Baltimore Soundstage
5/10 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
5/11 — Philadelphia, PA — Theatre of Living Arts
5/12 — Worcester, MA — The Paradise Rock Club
5/14 — Montreal, QC — Club Soda
5/15 — Toronto, ON — Opera House
5/17 — Grand Rapids, MI — Elevation
5/18 — Lakewood, OH — The Roxy
5/19 — Indianapolis, IN — HI-FI Annex
5/21 — Cincinnati, OH — Bogart's
5/22 — St Louis, MO — Red Flag
5/24 — Dallas, TX — South Side Music Hall
5/25 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes Event Center
5/26 — Houston, TX — Warehouse Live
Powered by RedCircle
