Melbourne metalcore outfit Alpha Wolf tighten and heighten their high-impact delivery on this throttling third album. Driven by themes of hard-won self-possession, lead vocalist Lochie Keogh vents with full-body force on tracks like “Haunter” and ominous opener “Bring Back the Noise”. Rivalling his screamed missives is a surprise cameo from Ice-T during “Sucks 2 Suck”, on which the veteran rapper/actor/Body Count lead singer claps back hard at all the trash-talkers. Yet despite the impressive aggression on display throughout Half Living Things, there are rewarding nuances in between the machine-gun riffing and blast beats. Offering some respite from that rapid-fire pace, stretches of “Whenever You're Ready” and “Garden of Eyes” are slower and more spacious—which only makes it feel that much more intense when the band return to full ferocity. Alpha Wolf’s hairpin shifts remain as satisfying as ever, as heard in the title track’s balance between menacing call-and-response and effects-laden detours.