As the Christmas season rapidly approaches, so too does the familiar sounds of bells, chimes, screams, and crunching guitars. That's right; Wolves at the Gate has returned with more post-Hardcore Christmas-themed music. The Lowborn EP is a five-track collection of holiday tunes, and fans of the genre will not want to miss this eclectic project.

Longtime followers of Wolves at the Gate will doubtlessly recognize the majority of these tracks: The title track, "Lowborn," was released last year, and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" made an earlier appearance on a Solid State Christmas compilation eight years ago. "The King" was also released as a single back in 2012, but slipped under the radar for many due to its standalone nature.

"Dark Cold Night" is a punchy, energetic track which fits in very well with Wolves' recent releases, and its Gospel-centric message is both timely and potent: "Dare I speak though overcome with silence / it's been so long behind a wall that divides us / and hides us from beauty / it's been a dark cold night / tear the veil that hides the light within / destroy the walls that we have made with all our sin / as all the voices cry 'deliver us' / end this dark cold night."

"O Holy Night" is a calmer track, offering a no-nonsense rendition of the Christmas classic, while the titular "Lowborn" delivers a hard-hitting and symphonic aura and brilliant, scripturally-based lyrics ("Lowborn to the world was the image of what was always invisible / unending light now veiled in the flesh - impossible! / Lowborn - savior! / Setting aside Your glory above / Emmanuel, what a world You love / the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will raise to life").

Even though there are only two new tracks this time around, it's nice to have these releases collected into a single offering. While this EP isn't for everyone, it just may serve as a gateway for new listeners to discover Wolves at the Gate (and even for new hearers of the Gospel).

- Review date: 11/16/22, written by David Craft of Jesusfreakhideout.com