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Wolf - Black Wings


*
=Staff's pick

Night Stalker*
Demon Bell*
I Am The Devil*
Venom
A World Bewitched*
The Curse*
Unholy Night
Genocide
A Dangerous Meeting (Mercyful Fate cover)


Genre Heavy Metal
Nick Olsson
Vocals
Tracks 9
Nick Olsson
Guitar
Runningtime 44 Min.
Johnny Bülow
Guitar
Label No Fashion Records
Mike Goding
Bass
Release 28 Jan. 2002
Dale
Drums
Country Sweden
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Iron Maiden, Saxon

Can you mix Saxon and Iron Maiden and still contribute with something new and still individual? Yes you can, if you're in a band named Wolf. This band is besides Domine the best thing that has happened to me the past few months when it comes to metal. Hence, it means that this is one of the somewhat rare occasions when you get your hands on a killer-album and the review practically writes itself.

Black Wings is absolutely brimming with awesome tracks and the 44 minutes disappear in a heartbeat and leaves you breathless when it's all over. This is a very intense album and I think it's got almost everything a great power metal release should have (except for perhaps some catchy sing-along choruses). But how do they sound? Well of the earlier mentioned classic bands Wolf remind most of Iron Maiden when it comes to the guitars and most of the other two regarding the vocals. This of course means that the guitars kick some serious ass and that the singin' added to this equals something seldom heard before. A very nostalgic "back to the old Maiden feeling" emerges very quickly.

The three first tracks simply explode out of the loudspeakers and nail you shut in "full attention position" and keep you there throughout the whole album. It's just one speed-rocket after another and awesome tempo tracks with sovereign intros, solos and verses characterise this entire release. Well that's almost true. Black Wings looses some of its intensity and it doesn't have the same energetic flow towards the end. Nevertheless the somewhat slower tracks are still very good ones. And like I mentioned earlier there could have been some catchier sing-along choruses too and based on these two remarks Wolf looses some points.

Despite this though I must say that listening to Black Wings made me feel like a child at Christmas. Hearing each new track felt like opening a Christmas-present that was everything you had ever wished for and then some. Well this praise of Wolf could go on forever but I think you got the picture by now. So the bottom line here goes as follows: If you're into Iron Maiden especially in their early days and have a strong passion for power metal tempo albums you don't have much of a choice as I see it. The one and only thing to do is get out of your butts and run as fast as you can to the nearest CD- retailer that's got Wolf for sale. Be there or be square!

See also review of: Devil Seed , Ravenous , The Black Flame , Evil Star

Production
Vocals
Compositions

8

9

8,5

 
Summary



8,5 chalices of 10 - Mat

Related links:

www.wolf.nu