WOLF
“Shadowland”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Wolf are a heavy metal band from Sweden founded in 1995 by vocalist/guitarist Niklas Stalvind. The band has undergone numerous line-up changes during their twenty five year plus career, but with the determination and creative vision of Niklas, Wolf have released nine albums to date – ‘Wolf’ (1999), ‘Black Wings’ (2002), ‘Evil Star’ (2004), ‘The Black Flame’ (2006), ‘Ravenous’ (2009), ‘Legions Of Bastards’ (2011), ‘Devil Seed’ (2014), ‘Feeding The Machine’ (2020), and 2022’s ‘Shadowland’. The bands sound is unabashed and unashamedly heavy metal, with a little power metal thrown in here and there. And as we all know, Sweden are well known for their metal exports, with Wolf recognised as one of the country’s best…

…and with the release of ‘Shadowland’, the band are strongly reinforcing that recognition. With fifty minutes and eleven songs, Wolf roar with grit and determination, laying waste to towns and cities with their devastating power driven style of heavy metal. Opening song ‘Dust’ is immediately into its stride, the band powering out of their Swedish lair and attacking the ears of fans all over the world with a bombastic barrage of heavy metal. Wolf are back – and biting harder than ever! ‘Visions For The Blind’ hits a lot harder than ‘Dust’, and is much heavier too. The intensity with which the band have opened their new album is incredible, the aural avalanche an amazing allure that’ll make you smile from ear to ear. What a high energy, highly attractive opening double! Which becomes a triple, with the heavier hitting, heavy foot stomping ‘The Time Machine’. Lacking the out and out pace of the two previous songs, ‘The Time Machine’ is a mid paced, mid tempo swagger of power driven metal.

Electrifying pace lights up the album with the rampant ‘Evil Lives’ forging a ferocious path across the land. The infectious level is off the scale and the melodious intent incredible, as Wolf attack the senses with a brand of metal that is just superb. The bands blend of traditional and power metal is sublime – knocking on the doors of the hard rock genre with the majestic march of ‘Seek The Silence’. Fans of both metal and rock will be attracted to ‘Seek The Silence’, the band effortlessly building a bridge between the two genres for fans to crossover. Title song ‘Shadowland’ maintains the albums recent turn toward a mid paced mid tempo majestic swagger, hitting hard and kicking harder. There is also an aura of anthemic metal surrounding ‘Shadowland’ (the song) as it thunders to a crushing conclusion.

And talking of thunder, ‘The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake’ is a thunderous and high energy gallop of traditional “foot on the monitor” heavy metal, with a relentless rhythm that’ll immediately have your head banging. Featuring a slightly darker vibe than heard so far, ‘The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake’ also has a touch of menace with a venomous vocal delivery – Wolf liberally spraying around mood and attitude. Bringing forth a haunting aura, ‘Rasputin’ is very heavy, the band stomping the heaviest since the album began. Wolf are seemingly unstoppable – ‘Shadowland’ (the album) breathlessly marching on without a single pause for relaxation. The amount of energy this album has is enough to power the city of Örebro for years!

Returning pace to the album, Wolf gallop forward with purpose and intent, courtesy of the belter ‘Exit Sign’. With the pedal well and truly to the metal, the band scorch the earth as they power on. And power on Wolf continue to do – with the heavier, harder, and faster paced ‘Into The Black Hole’. The combination of traditional and power metal is one helluva mix, and one that Wolf have perfected. Fans old and new are gonna ravenously devour this album, every song a tasty morsel to be enjoyed time and time again. But before you press the replay button to go again – there’s a bonus offering! ‘Trial By Fire’ is six minutes plus of pure heavy metal heaven. Fast paced and infectious, ‘Trial By Fire’ has pace and tempo changes to keep you hooked, with your head vigorously nodding back and forth.

Overall, a hard hitting and infectious barrage of bombastic heavy metal, Wolf are firing on all cylinders.

TRACKLIST

Dust
Visions For The Blind
The Time Machine
Evil Lives
Seek The Silence
Shadowland
The Ill-Fated Mr. Mordrake
Rasputin
Exit Sign
Into The Black Hole
Trial By Fire (bonus)

http://wolf.nu/
https://www.facebook.com/officialwolf/

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