Ghost Cult caught up Niklas Stalvind of Wolf for a new interview on the podcast! Niklas discussed their new album Shadowland, out now via Century Media Records. Niklas discussed the making of the new album, his creative process, the entire history of the band, how he got started in music, how he manages his work-life balance, and much more! Continue reading
Swedish Heavy Metallers Wolf is back! Feeding The Machine released on Century Media Records on March 13, 2020, and will feature new band members Johan Koleberg on drums and Pontus Egberg on bass guitar. The album is being produced by WOLF’s Simon Johansson at SolnaSound Production and will be mixed by Fredrik Nordström of Studio Fredman. The artwork once again has been painted by legendary artist Thomas Holm (King Diamond, Mercyful Fate), will be shared soon with more album details.
Bloodstock Festival (aka Bloodstock Open Air or BOA) has added five more bands to its already stacked line-up for 2015. New to the bill are reformed sludge metallers Raging Speedhorn, prog-metal exports Xerath, Trepalium, Villainy and Godsized. Taking place August 6th – 9th at Walton on Trent, Derbyshire UK. Tickets are on sale now by phone (24hr ticketline at 0871 230 5584 )or online and include an array of camping and VIP ticket options. Camper van pitches are now all sold out.
Already announced to the bill over four massive stages are major acts such as Friday’s headliner Trivium and special guests Sabaton, Saturday’s headliner Within Temptation and special guests Opeth, Sunday’s headliner Rob Zombie and special guests Black Label Society, also Cannibal Corpse, Ihsahn, Sepultura, Orange Goblin, Death T.A, Nuclear Assault, 1349, Napalm Death, Dark Angel, Armored Saint, Belphegor, Overkill, Ensiferum, Agalloch, Korpiklaani, Pro-Pain, Enslaved, Wolf, Delain, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Godflesh, Lawnmower Deth, Mordred, Ethereal, Onslaught, Oaf, Pritchard Vs Dainton, Conan, Planet Of Zeus, Bast, Saille, Batallion, Destrage with more bands to be announced in the coming weeks.
Niklas Stålvind has led his Wolf project for approaching 20 years, with Devil Seed (Century Media) being opus number 7. Along the way he has replaced each of the bands component parts several times over, yet has retained a focus of vision in the classic Heavy Metal sound that pours from every follicle of their newest outing.
Devil Seed starts well, and when Stålvind is on song, such as on the excellently titled opener ‘Overture In C Shark / Shark Attack’, his troupe are reminiscent of classic Accept, razor riffing with a touch of groove, a driving back beat, and a fist-in-the-air chorus. This is followed by ‘Skeleton Woman’ with its crashing open chords, darker prowl and powerful “Collecting Skulls!” refrain, calling to mind the vastly underrated Metal Church.
But from here on in, Wolf fall into the formulas and trappings of so many of their peers, not only unable to maintain consistency, but identity too, all too often sounding like a mesh of other bands, and, like so many others, not possessing distinctive character of their own. An unnecessary reliance on metallic mid-tempo nondescript riffs and cliché lyrics and titles, the like of which littered Judas Priest’s Jugulator and Demolition (both SPV), puffs out much of the album; ‘Surgeons of Lobotomy’, ‘My Demon’ and ‘Back From The Grave’ form a jelly-like spine of an album that bounces from good (‘I Am Pain’ and the prowling standout ‘The Dark Passenger’, which harks to Fight’s ‘Laid To Rest’) to mediocre. As if to prove the point further, the album limps home with stodgy duo ‘River Everlost’ and ‘Frozen’ before picking up pace and quality with closer ‘Killing Floor’, replete with Mercyful Fate riffage and bringing an energy sadly lacking from half the material.
Stålvind is a strong vocalist, not too dissimilar to Mike Howe, and certainly fitting for a Heavy Metal band. However, Devil Seed reaffirms that one man does not a band make, and a more creative and dynamic foil is needed if this Wolf is to ever step out from the pack.
6.5/10.0
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STEVE TOVEY
