Wolf – Shadowland
Release Date: 1st April 2022
Label: Century Media
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Speed Metal.
FFO: Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate, Megadeth, King Diamond.
Review By: Anthony Petitt
Despite an April 1st release date, Shadowland, the newest album from Wolf, is no joke. The Swedish group, which formed over 25 years ago, show no signs of diminishing energy on their ninth album.
It opens with Dust, a solid introduction to the album which features compelling instrumental work, especially in its final three minutes. The opener is followed by Visions For The Blind, which can best be described as a “speed-ballad.” The band is not afraid to show off their progressive side on The Time Machine, where Maiden and Rush collide, before ramping up the speed and riffage on the short-and-sweet Evil Lives (which, despite its sinister name, is quite catchy).
Seek The Silence is sure to cause instant head-banging with its lumbering main riff and driving feel. Singer Niklas Stalvind is excellent here, as well as on the record as a whole. The song’s guitar solo work help to sweeten the deal. Title track Shadowland has the puzzling decision of a vocal breakdown at the midpoint of the song. This would not be such a pace-breaker if the vocals were mixed at a normal level like during the rest of the track, but they are raised in volume during the breakdown to an absurd, jarring level. Luckily, this type of production hiccup is only found in this one instance.
The next song on the album, entitled The Ill-fated Mr. Mordrake, has a driving pulse and an ascending guitar riff similar to Hangar 18 by Megadeth. Wolf then delve into groove-rock on Rasputin, a song based around the infamous Russian mystic. Keyboards provide some fitting ambiance on the track. Into The Black Hole is a decent choice for an album closer, with its emotional chorus and energetic riffs, though bonus track Trial By Fire gives off more of the epic vibe a proper final song should provide. Trial By Fire sounds like the end of a journey, as encapsulated by the final lyric: “I’ll see you on the other side.”
(3.5 / 5)
