Blessed indeed I am to have the opportunity to listen to the new Powerwolf album and to write a review. After listening several times, indeed I am possessed by the gospel Atilla Dorn is again preaching on this album. Perhaps it would be a nice contest for our readers to mail me how many amens and Hallelujas you count in the eleven songs. This all with a big blink off course because I don’t think the Wolves will be sitting in the front seats in church every Sunday morning.
Last month I went to Dokk ’em Open Air and the band I enjoyed the most that day was Powerwolf. Singer Atilla is a real entertainer and together with the other bandmembers they really deliver. It all sounds great and the band knows how to enjoy the crowd and Atilla sings live as good as on the album and that can not be said about a lot of other metal performers. For a lot Powerwolf will be over the top, too bombastic, too much gimmick, too much show, too catchy etc. etc. They are the superlative of Sabaton and you just love that or hate that. You already guessed that I’m a member of the first group.
Everything you like from the band is on the new album, if you like the last 2 albums ‘Preachers of the Night’ and ‘Blood of the Saints’, you will not complain. Catchy refrains, ceremonial singing, bombast and with well produced power metal as a base. Fast opener “Blessed & Possessed” sets the mark for the album, it isn’t easy not to sing a long with the refrain banging with your fist in the air. The next track is again fast and underlines that the formula the band uses still works. With “Army of the Night” the tempo slows down a bit. On this song the church organ played by Falk Maria Schlegel really surfaces. The best song in my humble opinion is “Armata Strigoi”, it is all the band stands for. I’m not going to explain to you why, but its a real anthem with all the Powerwolf elements embedded. After that “We Are the Wild” sounds a bit too cliché and average, but that is more because “Armata” is such a strong track. The song quality increases again With “Higher Than Heaven” and they continue with tracks on that high level until the end.
Here my lecture ends dear brothers and sisters, may the force be with you. Halleluja, Amen!
Tracklist:
01. Blessed & Possessed
02. Dead Until Dark
03. Army Of the Night
04. Armata Strigoi
05. We Are the Wild
06. Higher Than Heaven
07. Christ & Combat
08. Sanctus Dominus
09. Sacramental Sister
10. All You Can Bleed
11. Let There Be Night
Playing Time: 45:00
Release date: 17th of July, 2015
Label: Napalm Records
Website: www.powerwolf.net
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