Reviewed - 08/05/04
Evil
Star
[Prosthetic Records]
If you are like me then you were disappointed by the last album from Iron Maiden and you still think that they haven't made a worthwhile album since Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. It is definitely an arguable point from both sides but one thing that can't be denied is how great those Maiden 80's albums were and for that matter how great a lot of the music from NWOBHM bands and other bands like Judas Priest and Accept were. Well, Wolf definitely bridges that 20+ year gap and not only provides that old nostalgia but also fills the void that frankly Iron Maiden hasn't been able to fill for a while.
Evil Star is the band's third album and the first one that is immediately (finally!) available in the States and thankfully Prosthetic has also released the bands excellent first two albums. From the first melodies of the album opener "Evil Star" you will immediately notice that this is metal played the old school way. Some have said that Wolf just plays music that has been heard before and that they don't really offer anything new. Well, I completely dispute such a statement and in evidence I present the music. There is no denying where the band's sound came from but Wolf sounds like Wolf and not like any other band.
Unfortunately the band lost guitarist Johan Bülow but that hasn't stopped the insane amount of twin guitar leads, solos and riffs to be displayed and there are plenty to point out like in "Evil Star", "The Avenger", "Out of Still Midnight" and in the instrumental "Transylvanian Twilight". Frankly, you will be left with your mouth hanging wide open when you hear some of these solos and how unrelenting the pace can be with these songs. Even more amazing is the fact that, except for one of the bonus cover songs, all the guitars were played by Niklas Olsson who also handles the singing duties. Niklas's singing has been a point of discussion due to the fact that some find his high-pitch range annoying but to my ears he has never bothered me and he really has improved for Evil Star. The rest of the band is rounded out by the excellent drumming courtesy of Daniel Bergkvist and bassist Mikael Goding and if you can remember how loud and punchy Steve Harris's bass sounded then you will definitely enjoy Mikael's playing.
Of note will be the fact that the US release will contain three cover songs, BOC's "Don't Fear the Reaper", Slayer's "Die by the Sword" and "I'm Not Afraid of Life" by The Ramones. All are reminiscent of the original versions but Wolf add their touch to these songs to make them sound different enough.
Evil Star is not only Wolf's best album but also one of the best of the year and it is great to see them with a US label. The band has put out the goods now they need your support and if you are looking for metal that is fast and fun then look no further than to Evil Star.
[Prosthetic Records]
If you are like me then you were disappointed by the last album from Iron Maiden and you still think that they haven't made a worthwhile album since Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. It is definitely an arguable point from both sides but one thing that can't be denied is how great those Maiden 80's albums were and for that matter how great a lot of the music from NWOBHM bands and other bands like Judas Priest and Accept were. Well, Wolf definitely bridges that 20+ year gap and not only provides that old nostalgia but also fills the void that frankly Iron Maiden hasn't been able to fill for a while.
Evil Star is the band's third album and the first one that is immediately (finally!) available in the States and thankfully Prosthetic has also released the bands excellent first two albums. From the first melodies of the album opener "Evil Star" you will immediately notice that this is metal played the old school way. Some have said that Wolf just plays music that has been heard before and that they don't really offer anything new. Well, I completely dispute such a statement and in evidence I present the music. There is no denying where the band's sound came from but Wolf sounds like Wolf and not like any other band.
Unfortunately the band lost guitarist Johan Bülow but that hasn't stopped the insane amount of twin guitar leads, solos and riffs to be displayed and there are plenty to point out like in "Evil Star", "The Avenger", "Out of Still Midnight" and in the instrumental "Transylvanian Twilight". Frankly, you will be left with your mouth hanging wide open when you hear some of these solos and how unrelenting the pace can be with these songs. Even more amazing is the fact that, except for one of the bonus cover songs, all the guitars were played by Niklas Olsson who also handles the singing duties. Niklas's singing has been a point of discussion due to the fact that some find his high-pitch range annoying but to my ears he has never bothered me and he really has improved for Evil Star. The rest of the band is rounded out by the excellent drumming courtesy of Daniel Bergkvist and bassist Mikael Goding and if you can remember how loud and punchy Steve Harris's bass sounded then you will definitely enjoy Mikael's playing.
Of note will be the fact that the US release will contain three cover songs, BOC's "Don't Fear the Reaper", Slayer's "Die by the Sword" and "I'm Not Afraid of Life" by The Ramones. All are reminiscent of the original versions but Wolf add their touch to these songs to make them sound different enough.
Evil Star is not only Wolf's best album but also one of the best of the year and it is great to see them with a US label. The band has put out the goods now they need your support and if you are looking for metal that is fast and fun then look no further than to Evil Star.
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Tracklist:
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| Rating: 9.5/10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Release Date: 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: 54:14 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Review By: R. Escandon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Reviews: (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bands Website: Go Here | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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