Hailing from Germany, Wolfen have produced an album that sits right up there in the power metal pantheon. Rise of the Lycans delivers a soaring and sweltering blast of metal that is sure to leave fans of the band as well as new listeners on the edge of their seats.
Starting with Rebirth Of The Regulators with its thumping one two and sweep picked lead intro, the listener can immediately tell that the band mean business. The galloping riffs and the grit of the vocals ensure that this is a song that is sure to get people moving when played live. Genetic Sleepers is an even more brutal song. The riffs are simply amazing, a dig deep into the mind of the beast as it were, the vocals are furious and demonic. Forgotten Dreams is epic, a song that takes the listener on a journey through time and space and ensures that none forget where they are with the rhythms and the melodies dancing throughout. Xenophobia explores an interesting and difficult concept, through the riffs and the pounding rhythms of the rhythm section we are led through the story. Science and Religion is a mix of careful harmony between guitar and bass, and subtle pounding and destruction as the heaviness kicks in and the vocals take the band to new heights.
Timekeeper is frenetic in its drive and devotion to the basics of thrash, a brutal and brilliant riff, and a simple hookline to bring the listener into what the vocalist is singing. A brilliant take on a classic tradition. Rise Of The Lycans is a monster of a song, with a big booming riff, that carries the song, the vocals are sharp and to the point. The Rhythms are in sync with the overall feel of the song. Succubus is a darker, more menacing song, and it is one that creates a sharp focus and contrast between some other material on the album. New World Order is filled with swagger, swagger that carries itself throughout the song and ensures that this goes down as a brilliant closer.
This is a brilliant album, be sure to get it when it is released via Pure Steel Records on 22nd June.