After a lengthy hiatus, metalcore stalwarts To Speak of Wolves, have birthed a new EP, entitled Half King. Despite its royal title, this project was conceived after a tumultuous year for frontman Gage Speas. To give a conceptual metaphor, if the books "Ecclesiastes" and "Job" had a baby, this would be it. As we have all come to find out, in retrospect, those times can produce our best growth for our lives. I believe this to be the case. Andrew Gaultier delivers a colorful palette of riffs that range from pure, raw grit to melodically-infused, catchy hooks -- while also producing this record. Phil Chamberlain (drums) and Josh Dawn (bass) round out the tight-knit rhythm section.

The short album starts off with the lead single, "Son of the Swarm," which sets the tone of the record. I like the consistent, steady, chugging, thick guitars that drive this song. The vocals show no measure of rust from the hiatus either. The tempo change around the middle part of the second verse (1:44) is like a nice, juicy, thick metalcore steak. This part leads into a lyrical spotlight from the EP, "I'm making deals with God that I can't keep/Just show a little mercy upon me." While bleak, there's a brutal candor to the honesty that provides a spark of hope.

"Devour This Void" starts off fast and heavy. I have always felt that Speas's voice has been underappreciated in the metalcore world. This song shows how he can go from heavy gutturals to catchy chorus cleans. In this song, we can observe the synthesizers and their purpose on this EP. Ironically enough, it does create a void-like, hollow, and bleak feeling. From my vantage point, this is purely intentional and well-executed. There are lots of bands that attempt this, but it can oversaturate the album. Remember how I mentioned the book of Ecclesiastes earlier? This brings me to the title track, "Half King." The chorus lyrics are, "Nothing new comes my way/I was born full/Gonna die empty/Now I'm just pulling dead weight/Make something useful of me/I'm just laying around/Breaking at the thought and the sound/Nothing new comes my way." This chorus will play on repeate in your head throughout the day.

My favorite track off the EP is the next one, called "Veil of Tears." The drums drive the beginning of this song like we're about to go to war. My favorite parts from the EP are when the music drops out except for the drums, and Speas has these hauntingly beautiful spoken-word-esque parts before blistering back into the beautiful onslaught of riffs. I love the imagery used in this song, too, "You've got flames for your eyes/Make me feel alive inside/I need you more than ever/Like breath in my lungs." The beginning of "Born Full" sounds very reminiscent of Oh, Sleeper. Knowing that Speas is a huge fan of Micah Kinard, I can imagine there's some inspiration there. I love the heaviness of a good closer. Andrew took the phrase "save the best for last" a little too seriously.

I had high expectations for this EP, and I came away more than satisfied. There's a lot to digest with this EP, musically and especially lyrically. These days, when the music scene is getting infiltrated by AI, it's nice to have something so human that it takes time to digest. I didn't listen to this EP just once or twice before reviewing it; I've been spinning it since its release and marinating on it. After all, musicians pour their heart and soul into their craft, the least we can do is properly appreciate it -- especially for an underrated band like To Speak of Wolves.

- Review date: 2/18/26, written by Ryan Brackenridge of Jesusfreakhideout.com