Wolf – The Black Flame
Century Media - 2006
By Adam McAuley
A pristine platter of traditional is again offered by the now fairly venerable Wolf. They play very much in the style of Judas Priest, with their own distinctive flavor. The slightly off-key vocals of Niklas Stalvind remind of Rob Halford at times, but are slightly less appealing. The album as a whole is quite reminiscent of their previous work Evil Star, but perhaps less catchy and involving. It has a pure, very metallic flavor that’s kind of like what makes you want to listen to metal in the first place, much like Priest. The music on here can become almost like a religious experience for fans of the style of metal. However, this could be somewhat relegated to fans of classic metal and this could restrict them somewhat in their appeal, but nonetheless there are also still a ton of fans of this style.
The album seems to grow on you slightly and peak over a few repeated listens, which makes for a reasonable amount of longitivity. It also seeps into your pours with a very enthralling flavor overall, though perhaps not quite as much so as its predecessor had. Wolf certainly perform their style well and the instrumental performances match up equally. They’re quite a tight unit overall, but have no standout members. Similarly, they put on a relatively solid display, but aren’t particularly mind-blowing by any means. Overall, it’s a worthwhile package that should be enjoyed by almost any fan of metal, although it's certainly somewhat geared towards those with a taste for the classic sound, so they should proceed ahead of everyone else. Perhaps it doesn’t quite live up to some of the classic traditional metal masterpieces like Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance or Mercyful Fate’s Melissa, but it packs quite a punch on its own regardless.
Official Wolf Website
Official Century Media Website
Century Media - 2006
By Adam McAuley
A pristine platter of traditional is again offered by the now fairly venerable Wolf. They play very much in the style of Judas Priest, with their own distinctive flavor. The slightly off-key vocals of Niklas Stalvind remind of Rob Halford at times, but are slightly less appealing. The album as a whole is quite reminiscent of their previous work Evil Star, but perhaps less catchy and involving. It has a pure, very metallic flavor that’s kind of like what makes you want to listen to metal in the first place, much like Priest. The music on here can become almost like a religious experience for fans of the style of metal. However, this could be somewhat relegated to fans of classic metal and this could restrict them somewhat in their appeal, but nonetheless there are also still a ton of fans of this style.
The album seems to grow on you slightly and peak over a few repeated listens, which makes for a reasonable amount of longitivity. It also seeps into your pours with a very enthralling flavor overall, though perhaps not quite as much so as its predecessor had. Wolf certainly perform their style well and the instrumental performances match up equally. They’re quite a tight unit overall, but have no standout members. Similarly, they put on a relatively solid display, but aren’t particularly mind-blowing by any means. Overall, it’s a worthwhile package that should be enjoyed by almost any fan of metal, although it's certainly somewhat geared towards those with a taste for the classic sound, so they should proceed ahead of everyone else. Perhaps it doesn’t quite live up to some of the classic traditional metal masterpieces like Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance or Mercyful Fate’s Melissa, but it packs quite a punch on its own regardless.
Official Wolf Website
Official Century Media Website
