Snarling guitar and a few wicked curls of distortion. There’s hardly any sexier way to open a track, and Reignwolf, a blues-inspired outfit fronted by Canadian Jordan Cook, knows it. And while Cook has been recognized for the sweat-drenched intensity of his unchained live shows for a couple of years now, it’s only in the last few months that Reignwolf has bothered to record. Luckily, Cook shreds just as hard in the recording booth as he does on stage, managing to capture the energy of the band’s namesake in the studio. Or as he states when asked what it is about the wolf that appeals to him, “It’s the way I feel. It’s an intensity. When I play, that’s the feeling I get.”
And boy, does that intensity come across in “Lonely Sunday.” From the heavy burn of the opening guitar sequence to the introduction of Cook’s vocals, which sound like a grittier version of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell’s, this song oozes with the sweet stench of pure id. And if you’re hung up on the band’s blues inspiration, don’t be; their version of the blues has more in common with Led Zeppelin’s than with B.B. King’s, with the added benefit of a grunge sensibility that electrifies each note. Long story short, this track is just under three minutes of uninhibited, primal guitar rock that will leave you totally satisfied but still ready for another go. Just don’t say you weren’t warned…