Review by Carl on October 11, 2026.

Wolfbrigade on MetalBite and Metal Archives? Who would've thought? Well, I'm not bummed out by it, because now I can finally rant about my favorite Wolfbrigade record, the immense 2012 "Damned" album. But you already knew it was this one, or you wouldn't be reading this, of course.

Wolfbrigade certainly is a name of note in D-beat/crustcore circles, and I've been following them since the second half of the 90s, when they still went by the name Wolfpack. They had/have in their ranks people who were involved in Swedish hardcore punk heroes such as Shitlickers, Asta Kask, and most importantly Anti Cimex, so that grabbed my attention well enough. What also helped for me back then was that members of Marduk and Angelcorpse were in the habit of wearing Wolfpack shirts in their band pictures pretty frequently, which added even more to the allure. When in the late 90s we got the Marduk/Wolfpack collaboration project Moment Maniacs, it definitely sealed the deal for me, and you can bet that by then I was exploring this Wolfpack band and what they were about for sure. Yeah, that's the kind of geek I am, alright. When later on Wolfpack changed their moniker to Wolfbrigade, the music stayed pretty much the same, although there was a slow evolution in their sound going on nonetheless, adding more metallic elements and even a slight hint of melodic touches. An evolution that, in my eyes at least, reached its logical conclusion on the "Damned" album.

The first thing that catches the ear on this album is without doubt the guitar sound. It sounds massive, and more importantly, it has taken on a decidedly Swedish death metal flavour. Listening to this, you cannot help but be reminded of the early Entombed or Dismember releases. And it's not only the guitar sound that Wolfbrigade borrows from their fellow death metal countrymen. Throughout the battering D-beat/crust punk violence that makes up the bulk of their sound, the band has strewn about short guitar melodies breaking up the jackhammering approach on offer, as well as above-adequate guitar leads that are employed to great effect within the well-rounded tracks, sometimes even touching upon Amon Amarth or later Hypocrisy territory. This allows for an even bigger Swedish death metal influence to slither in, with even some elements from across the border making an appearance, like subtle nods to Autopsy and Hellbastard being stirred into the stew as well. Another thing that has set Wolfbrigade apart from their contemporaries is the fact that they know how to compose a song that grabs the listener by the nuts, without letting go. While the band relies for the most part on massive-sounding crustpunk propelled forth by a thundering D-beat percussive approach, they also know how to build in hooks aplenty with their use of memorable choruses designed to be screamed along at the top of one's lungs. All this is firmly packed together by the raucous barking vocals of Micke Dahl, roaring through proceedings like a man on the verge of losing his sanity forever. It's his voice that gives the music on offer its own face and sound, adding stupid amounts of menace to the already volatile concoction presented. In a genre of music not exactly known for musical prowess, Wolfbrigade stands out through able composing skills, and perhaps even more importantly, a flawless and precise execution of their style, and they utilize these abilities to great effect.

The sound mix employed here is equally as impressive as the music, and it could not have been any other way, really. Wolfbrigade is a band that needs this kind of massive wall of sound, and to get that to work, you need a clear and powerful production, one that ensures a punishing delivery to come bursting out of the speakers, without overdoing it with the modern trickery. And that is exactly what they got on this album, even if it's just that speck too neat for my taste. Yeah, I know, nagging is somewhat of a hobby of mine.

If this is a band that you happen to be unfamiliar with, I'd say to start with this album and explore further from here. When it comes to this type of metallic crust, you'd be hard-pressed to find a band that is as accessible (using the term lightly here, by the way) as these guys, while still totally embodying the sound, ideals, and values of the genre.

In short: recommended stuff!

Rating: 9 out of 10