With the release of their debut album Disobey, out today on Eleven Seven Music, Bad Wolves are the breakthrough rock act of 2018. The album has already hit the #1 spot on official rock charts in 13 European countries today, including the UK.
The band rose to global acclaim this year with their cover of The Cranberries’ intergenerational hit ‘Zombie’ topping global charts to become the #1 rock song of 2018. Billboard said of the track, ‘With its real-life timeliness, emotional delivery and surreal background story, the cover connected faster than anyone involved could have anticipated.”, while Rolling Stone commented “Bad Wolves’ interpretation of ‘Zombie’ is moody like the Cranberries’, though the instrumentation sounds clearer and more cutting.’
Dolores O’Riordan, of The Cranberries fame, said that she thought Bad Wolves cover was Killer and was set to record featured vocals on the Bad Wolves version of ‘Zombie’ the day she tragically died in London. Bad Wolves then committed to donating all proceeds from their version of Zombie to O’Riordan’s four children, a gesture that has touched her family and has been gratefully acknowledged.
Bad Wolves’ ‘Zombie’ has resonated with audiences around the globe and embarked on a meteoric rise on global charts. With a list of achievements more in line with long established acts, Bad Wolves – who only formed in 2017 – have already this year achieved;
#1 spot on Spotify’s Global Viral 50 Chart
100 Million video views on ‘Zombie’ on Facebook and YouTube
#1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart
#1 on iTunes Overall (U.S., Canada, Australia)
#1 on iTunes Rock globally
#1 Emerging Act on Billboard
Gold Certification in USA and Canada
20 Million streams on Spotify alone in 16 weeks
In addition to chart success Zombie, has received mainstream airplay from BBC Radio 2, NJR France, MTV International, Z100 and KROQ – some of the biggest broadcasters in the world.
But the album Disobey is much more than one hit song. The debut collection sees five Los Angeles music veterans flexing their creative muscles and exploring new and previously untapped sonic spaces. In addition to ‘Zombie’, Disobey boasts the crushingly catchy ‘Learn to Live’, fan favourite ‘Shapeshifter’, and the soaring ballad ‘Remember When’. The latter is inspired by Vext’s twin brother, who is currently serving time for his attempt to murder Vext. Following the murder attempt, Vext began a career as a sober coach to help others break free of the cycle of addiction and violence.
The album also includes Hear Me Now which Bad Wolves recently revealed in a duet form with label-made Diamante. The in-studio video has amassed more than 3.2 Million views on YouTube in less than 3 weeks.
Overall, the Bad Wolves story is one of quiet resilience. The band features drummer John Boecklin (ex-Devildriver) and vocalist Tommy Vext (Divine Heresy, Snot), as well as guitarists Doc Coyle (ex-God Forbid), Chris Cain (Bury Your Dead), and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-In This Moment), in its ranks. The group — whose members are both seasoned veterans and talented players who have logged critically acclaimed stints in some of rock and metal’s most celebrated acts — emerges as a testament to their collective talent and rapidly expanding fanbase.
Bad Wolves will spend much of the foreseeable future on the road, with arena dates supporting Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown through the end of May and a co-headline run in June with labelmates From Ashes to New and Diamante, before rejoining Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin and Nothing More in mid-July.