You really shouldn't need the wrench. I had the same problem at first but it actually comes off quite easily. The rubber band may be helpful but the key is to twist, not squeeze which only makes it harder as it compresses the threads. It is important to grip only the front edge where there are no threads. Once I figured that out it came off fairly easily.
One thing to remember is that you need the force for turn and not for pressure on the filter. So just dont press it, unscrew it.
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