WRONG CREATURES

Wrong Creatures, the eighth studio album from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, marks a turning point for the American rock band. Released on 12 January 2018, the album shows the trio continuing to evolve, settling into a more atmospheric, melancholic space, while retaining the raw energy and brooding intensity that has defined their career.

The album’s singles, including “Little Thing Gone Wild”, “Haunt”, “Question of Faith”, and “King of Bones”, were released in late 2017 to preview the record’s heavy, yet measured, sound. These tracks reveal a sonic palette that feels tighter, more reflective, and at times, more introspective than earlier efforts. Throughout Wrong Creatures, the band leans heavily on mood and texture, favouring subdued moments of intensity rather than outright explosiveness.

The opener, “DFF”, sets the tone with its languid pace and shadowy instrumentation, establishing the album’s more somber vibe. As the record progresses, tracks like “Haunt” and “Question of Faith” demonstrate the band’s knack for balancing brooding atmospherics with more forceful, guitar-driven moments. The album feels less frantic than some of their previous work, instead favouring deep, spacious soundscapes where each instrument breathes and swells with purpose.

Despite the more restrained approach, Wrong Creatures is still unmistakably Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, with Peter Hayes’ familiar voice drenched in reverb and the band’s signature wall of sound underpinning every track. There’s a sense of controlled aggression throughout the album, particularly in the raw riffs of “King of Bones”, which recalls the band’s earlier, more urgent material.