Album Review: Powerwolf - Call Of The Wild

The way more people talk about bands, there's a certain point where we get tired of what they do, and nothing that comes after can compare to the music we consider 'classic'. That's often of our own doing, as there are several instances where I have come into a band's catalog later on, and I can't see why the early material is the classic stuff, and the later is considered inferior. Basically, there is often a limit on how much music we can appreciate from the same band playing the same style, and it's not their fault we are more attached to the first few that we heard.

When it comes to Powerwolf, I was not there at the beginning, or I should say I was not a big fan back then. I heard their music, but it wasn't fully meshing with where I was at the time, so I didn't have any lingering affection for something past when "Blessed & Possessed" came out with its slightly more streamlined sound. That album, and "The Sacrament Of Sin", are to me Powerwolf taking their style to the next level. They have mastered what they do, and put out back-to-back albums of epic power metal.

So how do you keep the ball rolling when you are essentially doing the same thing time and again? The only way to do that is to keep writing great songs. The only reason people complain about AC/DC or Motorhead albums sounding the same is because they hit stretches where the albums started to lag, and something inferior you've already head is even more boring than something inferior that is at least new.

Powerwolf has mastered the art of grandiose power metal with rapid-fire melodies. It's a style that was unique to them, until Bloodbound decided to copy it this year. They did a fine job, but there's a reason one band is a copy, and one band is the original. Powerwolf's orchestrations sound richer and more authentic, Atilla's operatic bellowing is a Gothic call to the demons of the night, and their songs are just that little bit catchier.

"Faster Than The Flame" comes out of the gates with one of their best efforts in that mold, hitting hard and leaving a wolf shaped bruise. Follow that up with the two singles we have already heard, and the album is off to a fast start. That only slows when we hit "Alive Or Undead", the trademark ballad. For a band that is so good at the hard and fast stuff, Powerwolf's sound translates to ballads just as well. This one isn't as good as "Let Their Be Light" or "Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone", but the added space and dynamics it gives the record is absolutely necessary.

"Blood For Blood" finds the wolves taking a trip over to Ireland, as a Celtic influence is definitely felt. It's a new wrinkle, and it makes me wonder if St Patrick would be able to lead werewolves off the island the way he did the rats. That's missing the point, I know.

If you've heard the recent Powerwolf albums, you know what "Call Of The Wild" is going to deliver. The band hasn't changed up what they do, and there isn't any reason to do so. They are the best at what they do, and this album shows they haven't run out of songs yet. I think I still prefer the previous two albums a bit more than this one, but that's a minor nit to pick. Powerwolf has been as good as power metal gets for years, and that's still where they reside.