Wolf - Legions Of Bastards

Heavy/Power Metal
Century Media

2011

1. Vicious Companions
2. Skull Crusher
3. Full Moon Possession
4. Jekyll & Hyde
5. Absinthe
6. Tales From The Crypt
7. Nocturnal Rites
8. Road To Hell
9. False Preacher
10. Hope To Die
11. K-141 Kursk

Wolf are one of those bands who have consistently made music I like, if maybe not love. They can crank out some good power metal that is both catchy and fairly aggressive. Somehow this band has never broken that 'next level' for me though. I guess not everyone can be a favorite, but that doesn't mean I don't have some of their albums or don't enjoy listening to em.

After listening to this album I can say that Legions Of Bastards is pretty much just what I expected. Solid power metal with a fair amount of aggression, but no song that hits hard enough to be a best of the year contender and nothing in style I haven't heard from the band before. I guess what keeps this band from really breaking out for me may be the fact that they've settled into a fairly familiar sound. I never really hear a new interesting hook outside of their box and the vocals are fairly limited in range.

Nitpicking aside though, this really is pretty decent. Certainly they have a solid sound that has a good energy about it. Both the guitar and vocals are aggressive and the whole thing comes off as pretty headbangable. If you want some straight up aggressive power metal than you could do worse than Wolf.

The thing with Legion Of Bastards is the album never quite grabs me and pulls me in. The rating will, in the end, have to reflect that. This is not a release I'm likely to revisit a lot and will be lumped into the pile of average power metal that comes out in any given year. Fans will probably find enough to like here, but I wouldn't consider it a good intro to the band or a remarkable album.

Highlights: Vicious Companions, Full Moon Possession

Rating - 3.0/5

Wolf - Ravenous

Power Metal
Century Media

2009

1. Speed On
2. Curse You Salem
3. Voodoo
4. Hail Caesar
5. Ravenous
6. Mr. Twisted
7. Whisky Psycho Hellions
8. Hiding in Shadows
9. Love at First Bite
10. Blood Angel
11. Secrets We Keep

Ravenous marks the 5th album from Wolf who are becoming something of a brand name in power metal. Certainly, the band has accumulated a pretty good fanbase between their heavy albums and take no prisoners live shows. Count me as one of those impressed with their live show and among those enjoying their albums.

Initially I didn't think much of the single released off this album, Voodoo, but I've gotta admit that initial impression of the song or what the album may be didn't stick. That song has grown on me quite a bit and this album is everything you'd expect of a Wolf album based on their last couple albums. More and more the band is leaning away from their Maiden clone beginnings to something more their own and with a sort of dark vibe. Speed On does open the album with a great Maiden style galloper though which is a perfect way to start. This song has a lot of energy and a good quick flow that makes it a winner. After that the speed drops off a bit into songs like Curse You Salem which have more of a mid-paced heaviness about them that's more in keeping with the way the band has been headed. This track has more of a heavy edge to it and builds to a nice screaming chorus. One thing I do really like about the vocals in this band is when they build to this sort of passionate and heavy yells. Very metal. When they yell out Curse You Salem it just has a, well, ravenous quality to it I like and is a good example of backing vocals done right. Another song worth noting is Love At First Bite which has a catchy melodic roll to it that reminds me of my favorite song from them, Wolf's Blood. This is a welcome addition and the vocal layering makes the verses sound big which builds to the nice guitar and chorus combo.

The only real complaint I have with this album is that the music does get a bit samey at times and does mostly work off the same mid-paced darker power metal formula. Not all the songs stand out as much as the three mentioned and keeps this album from quite reaching that next level. A good listen, but not quite enough songwriting ingenuity to put it in contention as a top album of the year probably. Still, I'm not disappointed and would recommend this to Wolf fans.

Highlights: Speed On, Curse You Salem, Love At First Bite

Rating - 3.5/5

Wolf - The Black Flame

Power Metal
Century Media

2006

1. I Will Kill Again
2. At The Graveyard
3. Black Magic
4. The Bite
5. Make Friends With Your Nightmares
6. Demon
7. The Dead
8. Seize The Night
9. Steelwinged Savage Reaper
10. Children Of The Black Flame

Wolf are a fairly young band out of Sweden, their debut having been released in 2000, but this album already marks their fourth full length album. They've also come a fairly long way in that short amount of time as the first album was 100% Maiden worship where as their last one had much more of it's own identity.

The Black Flame basically picks up where Evil Star left off. There's still strong shades of Maiden, but there's also something distinctly their own in the mix and not everything is a Maiden galloper like in their beginnings. The album starts off a little lightweight with 3 mid-paced tracks that don't really have the wailing vocals I've become accustomed to hearing in the mix of Wolf songs. Kinda dull really and when I first started listening to this album I've gotta say I was feeling a little worried.

Luckily, the album picks up around track 4 and especially on track 5 with the punishing sound of Make Friends With Your Nightmares. Not exactly a fast track but there's definitely more going on with the guitar and it has one hell of a heavy sound. From that point on the album seems to have a lot more energy and all the songs from there till the end just work much better. Things just sound much more Wolf after the first few tracks.

I guess I'm just used to the filler being tucked at the end of the album. Kinda strange starting the disc off on such a lackluster note but it all works out pretty well in the end. The first few aren't horrible... just the low point of the disc. Seeing as it's just 3 of 10 and the rest is very solid... it doesn't detract too much I don't think.

If you've been a fan of the band in the past this should prove satisfying. The feel of the album isn't far removed from their last release. Any fan of Maiden inspired power metal will find something to like here I would think.

Highlights: Make Friends With Your Nightmares, Demon, Steelwinged Savage Reaper

Rating - 3.5/5