According to guitarist and co-vocalist Stephen Cobucci, Types & Shadows is a concept album whose songs represent sin and “the continued revelation that God is gracious despite how broken I am.”
But don’t write off Wolves At The Gate just because they’ve ticked two boxes in Bin-It Bingo – Types & Shadows has a depth and quality that belies its melodramatic blurb. It’s ambitious for sure, but possesses a restraint missing among so many of Wolves’ peers. And while its lyrics couldn’t be deemed subtle – see Fountain’s plaintive ‘Wash all my sins away’ hook – it’s backed with real dynamics, by turns battering the listener with discordant riffs and picking us up with anthemic choruses. The hidden weapon here is Cobucci himself. His voice, reminiscent of Dallas Green by way of Dustin Kensrue, hogs the limelight, not least on grand closer Grave Digger, which could pass for an off-cut from Thrice’s recent, magnificent, comeback album. It’s perhaps not sufficiently inspired to justify its near-hour-long runtime – even God’s not above trimming a song or two – but Types & Shadows is a pleasant surprise, and the sound of Wolves taking a confident stride ahead of the competition.
