When the wolfsbane blooms, and the moon is full, the time will come for Powerwolf to release a compilation album. Yes, after the hugely successful The Sacrament of Sin (Napalm Records), the German lycanthropes bridge the gap until their next studio release with Best of the Blessed (Napalm), a “Best Of…” with a difference.

Instead of simply throwing together a few old tracks without any conspicuous thought, Powerwolf have selected a sure-fire pack of fan favourites, re-recording several of them in the process. As has been proven many times before, reworking old material can be a futile affair. Fans often refuse to accept the new versions, claiming the old ways are the best and should simply be left alone. That is unlikely to be the case here.

Keeping things simple, the new versions of ‘We Drink Your Blood’, ‘Werewolves of Armenia’, ‘Saturday Satan’, ‘Resurrection by Erection’, and ‘Sanctified With Dynamite’ sound almost the same as the original, the focus being largely on a more expansive production, and adding some background keyboards and atmospherics. ‘In Blood We Trust’ and (especially) ‘Kiss of the Cobra King’, however, are very different beasts. Whether you prefer the new or old versions will of course remain purely subjective, but the chances are high that many fans will welcome these new additions with open (hairy) arms.

Filling out the rest of the package are the likes of ‘Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend’, ‘Amen and Attack’, ‘Armata Strigoi’, ‘Killers With the Cross’, and ‘Sacred and Wild’ among others. A second disc includes performances from their 2018 Wolfsnächte Tour, and the Earbook and LP Box Editions contain four extra tracks under the title of The Live Bonus Sacrament.  

8 / 10

GARY ALCOCK