Powerwolf | Blood of the Saints
by Justin Gaines
Guest Staff Writer
Can we declare 2011 the Year of the Devil yet? Between the emergence of Ghost, Blood Ceremony and Portrait and the return of the original Satan’s Host lineup, this year was already loaded with good old-fashioned evil heavy metal. Now we have a new album from Germany’s pack of sinister, corpse-painted, wolf-obsessed power metallers Powerwolf. Their latest (and fourth overall) effort is called Blood of the Saints, and beneath one of the absolute coolest album covers in ages is a truly fierce burst of killer power metal.
If you’re unfamiliar with Powerwolf’s brand of power metal, it probably pays to toss out any preconceived notions you may have about the genre. Yes, their music is very melodic, has galloping leads and soaring vocals. Yes, they’re obviously influenced by Judas Priest, Accept, Iron Maiden and Dio. These are not shiny, happy Helloween clones, nor are they the type to pose in flowing shirts and plastic swords while composing epic sagas of dwarves and dragons. Their unique (at least for power metal) appearances and lyrical obsession with wolves and pseudo-Satanism mark Powerwolf as a different breed of power metal band. The closest comparison is Swedish band Sabaton, only remove the military fixation and replace it with Ghost-style lyrics.
After a brief, mood-setting instrumental (they have that much in common with every other power metal band at least), the skull-splitting “Sanctified by Dynamite” kicks in and lets you know exactly what you’re in for with Blood of the Saints. The headbanging anthems “We Drink Your Blood,” “Night of the Werewolves” and “Die, Die, Crucified” are just as effective. Those Sabaton-style militaristic marching rhythms, the anthemic, raise your fist for metal choruses, the completely mesmerizing melodies – all with a delightfully wicked lyrical spin – make you want to grab a torch and join Powerwolf’s pack as they lay waste to the rest of the power metal landscape. These are songs that you’re already singing and shouting along to during your first listen, and by the second and third times through they feel like old favorites.
No, they’re not reinventing the genre or even serving up much that’s different from their previous albums. But there’s just something completely energizing about Powerwolf, and Blood of the Saints is a fantastically addictive album. Fans of Sabaton and Wolf in particular should absolutely love this album, but Blood of the Saints should appeal to just about anyone who likes their power metal to have, you know, actual POWER.
Genre: Power Metal
Band:
Charles Greywolf (b)
Matthew Greywolf (g)
Falk Maria Schlegel (k)
Attila Dorn (v)
Thomas Diener (d)
Track Listing:
1. Agnus Dei (Intro)
2. Sanctified With Dynamite
3. We Drink Your Blood
4. Murder at Midnight
5. All We Need Is Blood
6. Dead Boys Don’t Cry
7. Son of a Wolf
8. Night of the Werewolves
9. Phantom of the Funeral
10. Die, Die, Crucified
11. Ira Sancti (When the Saints are )
Label: Metal Blade
Website: www.powerwolf.net
Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10