HOUNDWOLF is an outstanding hard rock/metal band based in Witten, Germany. Influenced by some of their favorite rock and metal bands like Metallica, Motörhead, Pantera, Slayer, Black Stone Cherry, Trivium and Black Label Society, they play melodic and aggressive metal-infused rock’n’roll, with some of the best guitar work I’ve heard from any band. Comprising HOUNDWOLF are four gracious, cool and funny guys: Milan Schloßmacher (Lead Vocals & Guitars), Tobias Maienschein (Guitar & Backings), Daniel Teuchert (Bass & Backings) and Thomas Neuhaus (Drums).

In early 2016 they released a debut 3-track EP Fast and Loose, then dropped their first studio album Beware of the Dog that November, which I reviewed in December 2017. This past April, they followed up with a new four-track EP Tempted to Abuse, serving up more of their signature aggressive, high-energy rock’n’roll. They kick things off with “Roll,” a simple but effective ode to what they do, and Milan makes sure we don’t forget it as he shouts “We are determined to rock, so you better roll!” Milan and Tobias crank out red hot riffs while Daniel lays down a solid bass line and Thomas pounds out the beat on his drum kit. They perform a studio playthrough of the song on this video, and it’s fun to get a close-up look at them playing their respective instruments.

The guys seem to channel Metallica on the hard-driving title track “Tempted to Abuse,” tearing up the airwaves with extended riffs of blistering guitar work. Milan’s raw vocals even remind me a bit of James Hetfield on this track. Dial up the volume on this banger! Next up is “The Second,” a great bluesy rock song that’s probably my favorite of the four tracks. As always, their guitar work is terrific, but what really stands out for me are Milan’s great vocals. They have just the right amount of raw power when he sings the aggressive verses, then he injects a little humor into his more spoken vocals, when we can also hear a bit of his German accent. It’s clear from his body language and facial expressions that he really gets into playing and singing, which is a joy to watch.

“Pursuit of Ambiguity” is straight-up metal rock’n’roll, with rapid-tempo heavy riffs, pounding drums and tons of crashing cymbals. The guitar work in the bridge is absolute fire, and Thomas seems to beat the living hell out of his drums! These guys are amazing musicians and it’s always a pleasure listening to their dynamic rock’n’roll music. I love HOUNDWOLF!

They’ve produced several entertaining videos of themselves playing their songs, as well as some behind the scenes footage of the recording of this EP, which you can check out on their YouTube channel.

Connect with HOUNDWOLF:  Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music on Spotify / Apple Music
Purchase on Bandcamp / iTunes