Wolf - Ravenous
Discovery of the year!

Until now Wolf had always been a band I heard of but never really heard. Ravenous is an excellent collection of songs rooted deeply in Heavy Metal of the no-keyboard variety. It's classic metal with bite! Wolf's approach is powerful and heavy with a gleam in the eye. It's easy to hear that these guys enjoy what they are doing as the songs are delivered with an infectious energy. It's time to check out Wolf's back catalogue since this is their fifth full length album.
 
This is one of those downloadable promos which came with absolutely no information  (For a biased history lesson on Wolf check out Century Media's Wolf Page) so when I double clicked on the first song Speed on I was subsequently happily blown away.  
The songs have great drive and choruses you want to scream out loud. The perfect invitation to headbanging.
 
Suitably named, Johannes Axeman delivers an outstanding performance. The guitar work is top notch, detailed and constantly present, driving the record forward hard and fast. Niklas Stålvind's vocals are high pitched and powerful, creating a convincing atmosphere for the songs to breathe. Listening to the lyrics the word twisted comes to mind. Whether the songs are dealing with witchcraft, demons, passion or something else entirely there is often a strong hint of humor and both this and the themes suit the songs just perfect.
 
Curse You Salem and Whisky Psycho Hellions (good title) were instant standouts to me because of their raging, melodic chorus parts. There are no fillers on the album and several songs grow with time as their nuances show, a testament to great songwriting. It's hard and not always polite to make comparisons to other bands but fans of bands like Iron Maiden, Helloween, Judas Priest, King Diamond and Cage should take notice. There is a rough unpolished edge to the album which is great to hear in this time and age.
 
If you have a healthy appetite for Heavy Metal, Ravenous can be devoured numerous times and it will still leave you completely and utterly.... well, ravenous for one more listen. I've been through the first 20 listens and I still feel rather peckish. Highly recommended to any Heavy Metal fans!

Written by Steen
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
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Ratings

Steen: 7.5/10

Members: 7.5/10 - Average of 2 ratings.



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Comment by Nina (Staff) - Friday, September 18, 2009
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Comments: 40

Steen, I agree completely with your review!
This is my first meeting with the Swedes as well, and I just have to say this album is very addictive! The songs simply never get boring, and all tracks are great. This is old school Metal, time tested and true to form, but the wolfs even put their own footprint on the music, never appearing like a clone. It's impossible to choose one favourite, when all songs are this good, but the mesmerizing 'Voodoo', the dynamic opener 'Speed On' and the simply-yet-so-effective 'Love At First Bite' are strong points.
A sure buy for anyone into well-crafted, classic Metal!


Posted by Nina (Staff)
Friday, September 18, 2009










Review by Steen

Released by
Century Media - 2009

Tracklisting
01 - Speed On
02 - Curse You Salem
03 - Voodoo
04 - Hail Caesar
05 - Ravenous
06 - Mr. Twisted
07 - Love At First Bite
08 - Secrets We Keep
09 - Whisky Psycho Hellions
10 - Hiding In Shadows
11 - Blood Angel


Style
Heavy Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Wolf - Official Website

Other articles
The Black Flame - (Alanna)

Legions of Bastards - (Steen)



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Ratings
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8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

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