Photo by DJ EJ
Audio By Carbonatix
As the 20th century wound down, Hippie Werewolves heated up, rocking Denver with a killer combination of power and purpose. The group’s wicked grooves and visceral riffology — a variation on rap-metal that transcended the polarizing sub-genre — underpinned words that targeted injustices of every stripe.
In the years since then, the band occasionally resurfaced. But today, the Werewolves are back with a vengeance thanks to the appropriately named “Lotus Ferocious,” their first album in more than three decades.
“Ride or Die,” the opening salvo of “Lotus Ferocious,” traces the Werewolves’ evolution. “A lot of us started in the late ’80s,” says lead vocalist Haylar Garcia. “It was hair-band stuff, fairly superficial. … But in the ’90s, things were changing. We felt music could be a weapon against the bad things in the world.”
The lineup coalesced around Garcia, guitarists John Scott and Bryan Dennis, bassist Dani Harrison and drummer EJ Worden, and together, they packed a punch. The initial Hippie Werewolves recording, 1992’s “Peacemachine,” an EP issued on cassette, is highlighted by “Slamm Together,” which was boosted by Harrison’s talent, whom Haylar calls “one of the best musicians in the band.”
“I’m definitely top five,” Harrison jokes.
More recordings followed through 1995, but the leap to a national stage that many locals predicted never quite happened, as the band stopped performing in 2008. Haylar has no regrets: “As an adult, I think the fact that we can still make music is a blessing bigger than fame.”
The timing of the group’s return is appropriate given America’s present state. “It does absolutely have a lot to do with the shitshow that is our country right now,” Haylar says. However, he adds, the impetus for the comeback was a tragedy of a different sort — the 2023 death of Worden, whose crazy rhythms formed the foundation of the Werewolves’ sonic maelstrom. “When EJ died and we reunited for his services, we realized we still had music to make together,” he says.
Freedom Garcia, Haylar’s son, kept the beat at the remembrance, and his skills were a revelation to all, his dad included: “He was a far better drummer than even I knew.”
The drums Freedom played were Worden’s, and he still uses them. “It’s been such an honor sitting in that spot with the guys and my dad,” he says.
Freedom’s skills didn’t solve every problem. Haylar, Harrison and Scott were game to resurrect the Werewolves, but Dennis had moved to Washington and wouldn’t be involved in the project. To fill his slot, they turned to talented scenester Aaron Garcia. But more sadness ensued: Aaron (no relation to Haylar) died in 2025, after making only a few contributions to what would become “Lotus Ferocious.”
Because of Aaron’s passing, Haylar wrote and performed extra guitar parts on the album. After its completion, the Werewolves reached out to Phlip “Philo” Sudberry, a guitarist with a slew of Mile High credits. Sudberry didn’t take a long time considering the Werewolves’ invite: “I thought to myself, ‘Fuck yeah’ right off the bat.”
As for the material on “Lotus Ferocious,” Haylar notes that it balances criticism with a call for unity. Typical is lead single “Boomerang,” in which he intones, “Digital creators, gladiators and haters/Click baiters, jam up their radars!/The revolution is a boomerang!”
“Lotus Ferocious” is currently available on streaming services and on CD. A special-edition vinyl release with new artwork is slated for the fall, and the Werewolves will celebrate it during a November 6 appearance at the Oriental Theatre, supported by Nasty’s Nightmare and King Rat.
Guitarist Scott is grateful for the opportunity to make a righteous noise with his friends again. “If it wasn’t for these guys, I wouldn’t be in a band,” he says. “I’d be talking about how I used to be in a band.”
For his part, Haylar is more interested in affecting the future than in reliving the past. According to him, “it’s not left against right. It’s top against bottom, and we have to unite to reverse this whole process.”
