Hour of the Wolf

When it comes to underdogs, Arizona's premiere punk-influenced rock'n'rollers Hour of the Wolf give the term new meaning. Blasting out a raucous pairing of old school hardcore and primal three-chord rock for the past half-decade, their undying energy and zeal are infectiously upbeat, frustratingly underrated and gloriously explosive. Moreover, it's not that easy to find, but thanks to the geniuses at Think Fast!, all of these aforementioned thorns may be pulled out of the band's side. Compiling their discography onto two separate releases, this first instalment features not only impeccable 2006 EP Power of the Wolf in all of its mid-'90s, Gearhead Records-inspired glory, but also a new track and fiery covers of Black Flag ("Fix Me"), Nerve Agents ("Fall of the All American"), the Stooges ("I Wanna Be Your Dog") and Kid Dynamite ("Breakin's A Memory"). Exciting, abrasive and fresh, Decompositions Volume 1 honours a great band that are still kicking and, more importantly, ensures that their material is accessible, recognized and quite possibly, on-track to greater notoriety.