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August 29, 2008 |
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01. I Will Kill Again
02. At The Graveyard
03. Black Magic
04. The Bite
05. Make Friends With Your Nightmares
06. Demon
07. The Dead
08. Seize The Night
09. Steelwinged Savage Reaper
10. Children Of The Black Flame
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It really has warmed the cockles of my heart to see the resurgence in interest for straight-up, no-holds-barred, no-frills, meat-'n-potatoes, denim-'n-leather, headbanging Traditional (or "Power") Heavy Metal witnessed over the course of the last ten or so years. Truth be told, as many I'm sure will agree, that interest never truly went away in the first place, but merely fell out of the proverbial limelight, pushed aside as it were by many in the Metal (not to mention mainstream) music media in favour of "fresher" sounds from the Death, Black, Nu, and various "Core" camps.
At the same time however, objectively speaking a great degree of criticism towards the form itself was justified in fuelling such waning media attention inasmuch as many of the artists peddling such fist-pumping sonic wares had been somewhat remiss by…ahem…"coasting" on past glories for several albums in a row too. I mean, as an example; with all due respect MAIDEN in the mid-'90s was really nothing to write home about were they? Passable yes, but exciting and groundbreaking? Uh…no. If anything they almost went down in a "blayze" of not so much glory. Same goes for most of their peers at the time too. That's why we all started listening to PANTERA. Nothing unique in that though. All genres/subgenres go through varying stages of creative vitality and Traditional Heavy Metal was no different.
If anyone in particular was at all responsible for dragging/defibrillating Trad Metal back into the center-stage where it belongs, then it's probably HAMMERFALL who should be credited to a great degree for their phenomenal '96 release "Glory To The Brave" which immediately re-ignited the fire beneath the asses of both fans and critics alike to the inherent potential the subgenre still possessed. Artists alike would quickly follow suit, the late '90s/New Millennium playing host to a slew of refreshed, revitalized releases from both old stalwarts such as MAIDEN, PRIEST, MANOWAR, SAXON, ACCEPT, and HELLOWEEN, as well as hungry young upstarts such as the aforementioned HAMMERFALL (now more of a true Power Metal act), STORMWARRIOR, ICED EARTH, and BLIND GUARDIAN (also definite Power Metal crossovers, but Trad Metallists at heart in my humble opinion) to name but a few.
One band however who would truly prove to be the leaders of the pack (if you'll pardon the roundabout pun) of new (never Nu!!!) Metallic Traditionalists are of course, Sweden's WOLF (Niklas Stalvind - lead vox, guitars, Mikael Goding - bass, Tobias R. Kellgren - drums, and Johannes Losback - guitars and backing vox). Oftentimes accused of being nothing more than Johhny-come-lately IRON MAIDEN ripoffs, WOLF were and are actually a beast with a far more credible and integral Metal pedigree than that. Whilst their first two releases (the self-titled '00 debut, and '01's "Black Wings") could certainly be accused of owing more than a smidgen to Dickinson and Co. in terms of overall sound and inspiration, 03's "Evil Star" showed a band who had matured and hit their stride as artists, offering a decidedly more well-rounded and cannily crafted piece of work which displayed their influences a tad less boldly upon their collective nicotine-stained denim sleeve. If anything, "Evil Star" offered up a fresh and revitalized take on a more inherently Teutonic interpretation of the Trad Metal sound than anything Birmingham or Manchester-born, recalling the glory days of ACCEPT, early HELLOWEEN, and even MERCYFUL FATE while still retaining what by then had evolved into that intangible WOLF signature sound. The band had finally truly arrived.
With their latest release, "The Black Flame", the boys from Stockholm continue to impress, soldiering admirably onwards along the track begun on "Evil Star" with more fist-pumping, headbanging anthemic Metal that sounds as though it were mined from the steel-riveted days of yore, yet which gleams with a polished sheen that was forged very much in the here and now. The aforementioned ACCEPTisms and MERCYFUL FATEisms continue to shimmer and shine throughout, decorating a solid selection of tracks which stand among some of the best the band has penned to date, the overall attention to hook and construct much improved to boot. Opener "I Will Kill Again" rides along a frenzied gallop of sinister guitars, while "At The Graveyard" could possibly be the coolest damned tune KING DIAMOND never wrote with its addictively hooky chorus! "The Bite" is another instant classic storming along on an unforgivingly memorable riff straight outta '84, while "Demon", and the wonderfully titled "Steelwinged Savage Reaper" reach epic, stratospheric highs of Metallically Zen-like proportions. Truly though, all tracks here shine as fine examples of a sound which manages to showcase the roots of where Metal began, yet with a refreshed and subtly original vibe which ensures repeat plays and more than a few returns to the cooler for a frosty beverage or two to help sustain the mood long after track ten has come and gone yet again.
If anything, the most consistent negative I keep hearing in reference to this band - and this album - is in regards to the vocals of Stalvind, which have been described to me by various naysayers as everything from "nasally", to "whiny", to "lacking in power". To be totally honest I will agree that the guy is certainly no Rob Halford or Bruce Dickinson, and something tells me that he too would doubtless agree. The addition of Losback on backup vox (which by the way do wonders for "The Bite" and "Demon" in particular in terms of added energy and power) tells me that the rest of the band probably felt that some extra artillery was needed in the vocal dept. too. That aside however, I've always personally found Stalvind's unique, higher-end tone quite engaging and well suited to the band's overall sound. I like his performance on this album and all of the others too for that matter.
As with any band, WOLF are a product of their whole as opposed to their individual parts. Take any one part away and the whole will suffer. As it stands WOLF remain perhaps the most vital young act currently holding the torch of Traditional Heavy Metal high and proud into the new millennium. MAIDEN and PRIEST amongst others only have so many years left in them. Udo Dirkschneider is doubtless getting a bad back, and King Diamond's face paint is starting to crack and wear thin too. Metal needs youngbloods such as WOLF to continue to show the newer generations of fans where it all started and where it can still go. While innovation and experimentation will always be needed to keep Metal alive, there will always be those ale-fuelled evenings when a punter wants to remember where it all began. It's on those nights that you'll want to invite WOLF over, turn the amps to "11", and burn "The Black Flame".
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