Wolves Like Us Bring Norwegian Fury to ‘Burns Like a Paper Rose’ — Song Premiere

Consisting of ex-members from such notable Norwegian acts as Amulet, Infidels Forever, JR Ewing and Silver, Wolves Like Us combine the raw power of Mastodon, the relentless energy of Gallows, the infectious metallic grooves of Kyuss and the punk/post-hardcore sensibility of Hot Water Music, Quicksand and Drive Like Jehu for one hell of a debut, that's ferocious yet accessible at the same time.

On September 13th Wolves Like Us will be unleashing 'Late Love,' their debut album. Noisecreep has the US premiere of 'Burns Like a Paper Rose,' one of the record's nastiest cuts. Guitarist-vocalist Lars Kristensen spoke with us about the band and their Norwegian roots.

Listen to 'Burn Like a Paper Rose' from Wolves Like Us

Is black metal as popular there as it was during the late '90s and early ''00s?

No, not really, and it was really never that huge in Norway anyway, I think. It was mainly all media hype and the true scene has always been smaller. But of course there are lots of kids that are still into that kind of thing. And the bands that are still around are generating lots of support, but I get the feeling that most dedicated black metal fans are from other countries like Germany. I like it, though.

Is Oslo's local government supportive of the arts there?

I guess it depends on what you mean by supportive, and especially what style of music you play. If you play jazz, or you are an opera singer - you get funds to break your festival - the state buys tickets for official visits etc. But if you play rock 'n' roll you can forget about that stuff. We have received government support in the past, but on a small scale compared to the "high arts". So, no, I don't think they are that supportive.

Watch 'Deathless' from Wolves Like Us

Wolves Like Us features ex-members of bands like JR Ewing, Amulet and Infidels Forever. How connected were you guys before the new band started? Did you grow up going to shows together?

Yep, we knew each other. We saw each other at shows and clubs and festivals. Oslo is small, and the rock scene even smaller, so everything and everyone kind of blends into each other. It's a good thing. It makes connections between bands in different genres to do things together.



Did you guys set out on a certain songwriting style before you even got in a jam room together? The music is like a blend of early '90s noise rock and modern hardcore.

No not really, but I had made demos of songs that I wanted to try in WLU, and most of the demos ended up as songs that are on the record. I just make songs like I've always made them.



We're streaming 'Burn Like a Paper Rose' along with this interview. Can you tell us some background on that track?

Well, it was one of the songs I spoke about that was on that first demo. It's a great song to play live and we open with it because it has so much energy. Gared O'Donnell from Planes Mistaken For Stars sings on the bridge on the record, and that was really special to us, since we´re huge PMFS fans. It´s one of my favorites on the record too, it has energy and hooks, and I love singing it too.

Wolves Like Us' 'Late Love' will be out on September 13th via Prosthetic Records.