Show preview: Detroit rockers Wilson will release their sophomore album at the Crofoot on Saturday

“We are very proud of where we hail from. It's written all over our skin. It soars through our blood and the calluses on our hands pulsate with the very heart and soul of this city,” the band Wilson wrote in a Facebook post introducing Right to Rise, the opening track off the band’s upcoming LP of the same name.

The gritty resolve in those words echoes what you’ll hear in the band’s music, as they appear both primed for national success and determined to never forget the city they hail from. On the new songs from Right to Rise, Chad Nicefield uses his husky, powerful voice to tell stories of everyday struggle while also empowering listeners to triumph over tough times through hard work and passion. Behind Nicefield, the guitars provide plenty of extra back-up muscle, and the pounding drums drive him ahead like a souped-up Detroit-made V8.

The album’s cover, a stray dog staring straight ahead with the Detroit skyline far in the background, defines the music well. It’s not a pretty picture, but it’s a strong one, an image of a beast that refuses pity or condescension and demands to be respected.

“It’s a dog my friend and I followed a few years ago,” Nicefield said in a release. “He was the leader of this pack of wild dogs. Every day, he has to get up, figure out how to get food, find shelter away from danger, and awaken the next day to do the same thing over and over again. The dog is a metaphor for our city, the people, the band, and what we’re trying to do with music.”

Four tracks are available for listening right now on Wilson’s Youtube page. They feature the kind of aggressive energy and raw power that gave the band its reputation, with heavy riffs and fist-pumping choruses saturating every measure. When a band has as strong a live show as Wilson does, sometimes it’s hard to recreate that on a record, but these songs are fiery with intensity, never relaxing and always pushing towards something bigger.

With Right to Rise due out on Razor and Tie on June 29, Wilson will be playing an album release show at The Crofoot Ballroom this Saturday, June 27. Support for the show includes Citizen Zero, Red Stone Souls, and Wolfshark. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and tickets range from $5-37.