Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
Toronto Dark-Folk Luminaries Broken Wolves Mourn Lost Dreams On "The Summons"

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Toronto Dark-Folk Luminaries Broken Wolves Mourn Lost Dreams On "The Summons"
Broken Wolves
Sat Dec 17, 2022
Cashbox Canada

Every generation has had to deal with their share of existential threats, and the members of Broken Wolves are no different. With his Toronto-based dark-folk act Broken Wolves, lead singer and guitarist Lennox Campbell-Berzins grapples with the looming threat of climate change and channels his anxieties onto their Medieval-inspired new single "The Summons." Check it out on YouTube here:

Led by Campbell-Berzins's affecting, Nick Cave-esque baritone, "The Summons" sets a gloomy, meditative tone with ethereal backing harmonies, atmospheric synth, and ominous, marching percussion. Meanwhile, the lyrics evoke images of nocturnal unrest and chilly forestal settings that are equal parts unforgiving and beautiful.

We chased it down to the viaduct
The portal to our dreams
Where all the hidden truths that we seek
Are splayed in winding streams
Lay my bones in bondage there
Beneath the naked moon
Set me free my sweetness
And I will join you soon

On the chorus, "The Summons" blossoms into a rich, thudding cacophony of sound, helped along by vox players Aniqa Qadir and Alex Gage (also on guitar), bassist James Atin-Godden, and drummer Matthew Wallace. Despite its grandiose delivery, "The Summons" is utterly haunting in its solemnity.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/track/6OEjg9zpTlHUrdms74LG9D?si=9f9afb0a375e4cac&nd=1

"The Summons" is taken from Broken Wolves' debut album of the same name, which Campbell-Berzins first dreamed up in 2016/2017 and later recorded in 2019 at Taurus Recording with Jesse Turnbull, Rogers Communication Center Multitrack Studio with Joseph Shemoun, Jordan Paluck, and Thomas Rapaport, and Blanket Fort Studios with James Atin-Godden.

"I was leading my old project Ruby Cikada... I was hinting at a new project I wanted to initiate that was darker, heavier, and more psych-inspired," Campbell-Berzins says. "I was writing a lot of darker folk tunes with a hint of medievalism to it, most of which were inspired by my fears and anxieties around climate change. This topic, while maybe subtle or unrecognizable within the music, was one of the major foundations when starting the project. I wanted to talk about an issue that was universal, contemporary and in a lot of ways generational, and one that I thought, wasn’t being addressed by many peers."

Originating in 2017, Broken Wolves blend baroque tones, alternative and progressive rock with added dashes of medieval and folkloric flair. Initially composed of previous members of Ruby Cikada (2012-2017), Broken Wolves released their official live debut in 2019 and a short live EP and video series, Live at Taurus, in 2020. Initially featuring a rotating lineup, Broken Wolves soon solidified their membership and released their first full-length album, The Summons, in October 2022. Through a gothic-folk lens, The Summons acts as a vehicle for Broken Wolves to examine the folkloric struggle of humanity vs. nature in the context of modern issues around environmentalism and climate change.

brokenwolves.bandcamp.com

Reviews
Album
Broken Wolves
Month: Nov 2021
The Honeyrunners Photo Credit Frances Beatty Toronto's The Honeyrunners Ask “What Are You Scared Of?” in New Single
Collin Clowes Collin Clowes Captures the Moments that Matter in New Single, “Polaroid” From Debut EP…
Arrested Development Arrested Development Release “Vibe” Ahead of Forthcoming Album, For the FKN Love
mLau Decadent Hues Drape Creatively Expansive Duo mLau’s New Single, “Blue Boy -…
Amanda Mae Amanda Mae Wears Her Heart On Her Sleeve with Sultry New Single, “Shoulda Known”
Erika Kulnys Nova Scotia Based Artist Erika Kulnys Takes a Stand for Bodily Autonomy with “…
HuDost Folk-Rock Duo HuDost Release Video/Single Declaring “Home is Bigger Than Us”
Myranda Christi Alberta Country Singer Myranda Christi Takes You on Love’s Wild Ride with…
Mark Brathwaite Toronto Hip-Hop Artist Mark Brathwaite Delivers Champion Flow Off New Album,…
Mickey Moone Mickey Moone & Murder Unleash Non-Traditional Love Anthem "Perspective"…
Rahul Samuel Pop, Soul & RnB Singer/Songwriter Rahul Samuel Reminisces on Romance…
Shihori J-Pop Artist Shihori Releases Soaring Ode to Better Days Ahead in New Video…
Gold Bonds The “Stars Align” for Ottawa's Electro-Pop Duo Gold Bonds
Month: Dec 2021
Glen Foster Canadian Folk-Rocker Glen Foster Gets in The Spirit Of Christmas with…
Alexis Lynn Surrey, BC's Alexis Lynn Holds onto the Joy of Christmas Year-Round in “…

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 53
  • Page 54
  • Page 55
  • Page 56
  • Current page 57
  • Page 58
  • Page 59
  • Page 60
  • Page 61
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers