More abrasive and aggressive than its predecessor, 2009’s Black Cascade sees the Olympia-based Wolves in the Throne Room moving away from the sprawling ambient compositions of 2007's Two Hunters and returning to their black metal roots. Though Black Cascade’s four tracks all retain the epic grandeur that the Wolves are known for, the pounding drums, throat-rending vocals, and relentless buzzsaw riffs of songs like "Ex Cathedra” may prove challenging for fans of the group’s more subdued, meditative work.