Evil Star

Wolf's third release - Evil Star - pounces on the listener as sharply as its blunt but not blunt, visually powerful cover art. Far from beating around the shadows, the Swede trad metal purveyors of days of fore go straight for the jugular (so I'm over-using this term, fight me) with opener "Evil Star", a six minute splurge of piercing yet wonky guitar solos, lumbering bass lines and frantic, snare happy drumming to the tune of evily charismatic front man Niklas Olsson turned Stalvind's dismal vocal wanderings. These fiercely carry on through Evil Star's top highlight, the stupendously engaging "American Storm" and other electric worthies such as "The Avenger", "Wolf's Blood" (ALSO an insanely endearing Pentagram track!), "Devil Moon" and superiorly satisfactory closer "Black Wing Rider".

I can't believe how good "American Storm" is. In order to give it credit due, I'm on my fourth consecutive listening. There's no preamble whatsoever aside from Daniel Bergvist's thumping cascade as the boys wind up and let 'er rip with this hair-rising, hard driving fastball. Stalvind and Goding are in perfect tandem rhythym wise whilst the little lead fills and unyielding tempo join forces to create a monstrously appealing effect. As soon as you hear Goding's rolling and jigglling bass line, brace yourself as Stalving comes crashing through the barn with some of Wolf's best soloing, encomprising its modest but imposing discography. His accelerated riffs and vocal delivery are amazing and just what the witch doctor ordered. Bergvist really shines on this track as he never ceases to join in with novel fills and slightly off-tempo beats which command us to howl at the moon.

"The Avenger" commences with a bold Pentagram style shuffle (I kid you not) which soon gives way to more intense greffing rock courtesy of the Örebro natives until Bergkvist turns around and unleashes a farrago of cow-bell "toks" alongside Stalvind's well-sustained power chords. Evil Star and its illustrious follow-up, The Black Flame, feature Stalvind at his finest vocal wise - they're clearer, and devoid of raspyness - while his and buddy's guitar skills continue to flourish on their heavy metal journey.

I don't want to burn myself out with a play-by-play; let's put it this way: Evil Star is essential listening for any self-respecting metal head, or heavy rock fan for that matter. Even the Blue Oyster Cult "(Dont Fear) The Reaper" cover fits gracefully (however darkly), giving this predatory package one final, hair-raising lunge.

Ah, Wolf. Always exciting, always classic, and totally destinctive too, the Swedes have been consistently ignored and repeatedly awesome throughout a long career that includes some of the finest traditional heavy metal your ears will ever experience. Evil Star comes at a crucial point in their development too, after the first couple of ultra-adrenalized albums that perhaps took the "we can play fast" aesthetic a little too much to heart and didn't invest so deeply in the merits of quality songwriting. Therefore, it's slightly slower and sturdier than Wolf, without giving itself over to the mixed stylings of Legions of Bastards.

I've had a long time now since I fell in love with Wolf to work out what makes the band so special, and a big part of it must be Niklas Stalvind's voice. I know there are people who don't like how he sounds, since he's quite high-pitched but not smooth like a power metal singer, while there are a couple of moments when he sounds strained and desperate that might ruffle some feathers. For me, that desperate quality gives him something that all too few singers in this style have - visceral appeal. His yowls and howls strike at a gut level, making his lyrics (which might otherwise be cheesy) believable and exciting, while also whipping the music up into a frenzy of slightly uncontrolled energy.

The other reason you'd want to listen to Wolf and especially Evil Star must surely be the riffs. Every song has at least one really great riff that will get you clawing at your sofa and beating the floor, while a few numbers like 'Black Wing Rider' and 'American Storm' simply rain down riffs in a neverending deluge. Fans of traditional, speed, power, and even thrash metal will feel at home here, nor will modern metalheads shirk the classic chops, since Peter Tagtgren's production pushes the guitar to the fore and bulks it up to steroidal levels. The speedy riffs retain their sharp edges as the savage 'American Storm' and the irresistably catchy 'Wolf's Blood' are quick to prove, while the mid-paced likes of 'Devil Moon' works well too, the band's groove driving the repeating main riff before the latter part opens up to some speedier content to build suspense for the final chorus. Mikael Goding's bass also plays a part in beefing up the riffs, remaining audible throughout and proving diverting when the guitar shifts into melodic playing, such as the long outro to the title track. Daniel Bergkvist has a great time with the drums, not only playing the flat-out sections with precision but adding his own split-second fills to increase the excitement.

It's notable that Evil Star contains generally longer songs than Wolf's other albums, with five of them heading well over 5 minutes, only 'Wolf's Blood' aiming to let its concision do the talking. On the one hand, this means that there is time to include some more interesting songwriting ideas that deviate from the normal tropes. 'Evil Star' has an attention-grabbing drop from speed metal verse to lower chugging chorus that will get you every time, while the main melodic theme and especially the opening shrieking solo to 'The Dark' are pure genius. However, there are also moments where the extra content doesn't work so well, for example on 'The Avenger', which has a great melodic verse riff to highlight Stalvind's atmospheric vocal delivery, but when the stop start breakdown comes in with something that sounds suspiciously like cowbell, it all starts to go awry until the solo arrives to save the day. There are one or two other small instances of things that sound like they don't need to be there, though 'Out of Still Midnight' is the only song that fails to meet standards, having a plain and blunt main riff and cribbing melodies too directly from Killers-era Iron Maiden.

There isn't anything else to truly regret, but those minor problems just prevent Evil Star being as uninhibitedly enjoyable as Black Wings or as stunningly well-written as The Black Flame. It's still an awesome album, even including a good cover of 'Don't Fear the Reaper' (did we really need another one?), and some of the songs are pure brilliance, though it just can't decimate you as those other Wolf albums can. But of course, you should definitely hear it anyway.

I'm not sure why this album has been overlooked the way it has. If you ask me any fan of old school metal should fall completely in love with this. The album is seriously heavy, in that old school way, sounding a little like Maiden at times, Crimson Glory at others, and of course the previously mentioned Mercyful Fate, though a little more straight-forward.

The production on the album is absolutely stellar, clear but heavy. The guitars are sharp and biting, lots of fast paced, often technical riffs and solos. Their vocalist sounds a bit like Tony Moore or Midnight from Crimson Glory, very high pitched but he can actually sing really well. It may take a little getting used to, but he is a very skilled vocalist. The bass is loud and pounding, the drums stand out as well. All quality musicians.

Like I said before, all of the songs are good, but if I had to pick favorites I would start with the opener "Evil Star" which is a great speed metal song with a classic sound. A great vocal delivery, catchy ass chorus, blazing solo. Everything you would expect from a great opener. "Wolf's Blood" is probably my favorite track on the album, it's a more straight forward metal song. Great verses with some awesome riffing going on, I love the ending to the chorus "deep inside the darkness...of your soul!" Good fist pumping stuff. "The Dark" is a similar song, it's mid paced but very heavy. Great riffing all throughout the song, good solo, and some menacing vocals as well. Their cover of "Don't Fear the Reaper" is excellent, one of the better heavy metal covers I've ever heard. It's true to the original, but with their own unique touch to it. You fully realize how good the production is on this song, because everything sounds excellent. Bass, guitar, drums, vocals, it's all perfect.

I really think that any true metal fan could enjoy this album. It has the right combination of everything, it's not too modern sounding, but not too old sounding either. It doesn't take itself too seriously, nor is it too cheesy. Not too dark, but not too light....You get the point. It's a very well rounded album, it reminds me a bit of Riot's "Thundersteel" in a number of ways, all of which I've all ready mentioned. If you haven't heard this yet, you definitely need to check this out.

It’s a tragic shame that Wolf missed issuing this record in 1978 during the onset of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. If they had, “Evil Star” would have been worshipped as one of the most influential metal records of all time. Forget about the comparisons that you’ve heard linking Wolf directly to the sound of Mercyful Fate because although the band claims the mighty Fate as a definite influence upon their songwriting, the band’s overall aural expression is much closer to the riveting thrash touted by those bands that inspired King Diamond’s outfit, most notably the metal icons Diamond Head.

Proof in point: The driving “American Storm”, a track that seethes with energy, electrified by the impressive vocal skills of Niklas Olsson. As the frontman lurches into a blistering lead on this cut, Wolf show that as a trio, they can hold their own with the most proficient metal quintets. Daniel Bergkvist keeps things interesting with a substantial degree of thunder on the drums, incorporating well thought out beats and timely accents without overplaying as Mikael Goding holds the bottom end down with weighty bass lines.

Although Wolf is unafraid to betray their traditional metal roots, the band still retains their own sound, a fact that is due primarily to the unique tone of Olsson’s vocal cords and Peter Tagtgren’s outstanding production. Tagtgren must be given a fair share of the credit for the fantastic sound of “Evil Star”, but the band’s performance on tracks like “The Avenger” and the especially wicked “Black Wing Rider” is the primary thrust behind the album’s power.

One of the most curious aspects of this release is the fact that it has been issued by Prosthetic Records in the US. Hopefully this fact may open a few young minds up to the fact that there are differing styles of metal out there and not every band has to go in the direction of Lamb Of God in order to be considered cool. It’s difficult to say how this album would go over with a younger metal crowd, but don’t be surprised to see a good many metalcore kids trading in their hoodies for denim jackets upon hearing this remarkable record.

Three extremely high quality and wildly diverse covers close the album, most notably what is likely the most perfect sounding rendition of Blue Oyster Cult’s classic “Don’t Fear The Reaper”, where Olsson shines with a starkly amazing vocal performance. If you think that you’re one that’s heard it all, you absolutely must experience Wolf’s version of “Die By The Sword”, where the band put their own spin on the honored Slayer cut with terrific results.

“Evil Star” is one of those records that you just cannot say enough great things about, making this Swedish trio one of the most refreshingly brilliant acts to emerge from the prominent Scandinavian metal circle. First and foremost, Wolf lives and breathes metal, with no frills and a passion for energy and power that shines through in each and every track included here. A perfect metal album in every way.

Wolf has managed to put out two stellar full length albums. If you've ever heard them, then you know what I mean. Now in 2004, Wolf's third album is out, and this album surpasses the first two. Wolf is described as heavy metal, and that they are. Where most bands describe themselves as black, death, thrash, etc. Wolf is just plain old heavy metal, using the same components that make up other great metal bands like Judas Priest. Wolf could be the true definition of heavy metal.

Evil Star is probably, so far, the best Wolf album. The singing is beautifully done by Olsson, who uses his high pitched vocal range to drop line after line upon the listener. The guitar riffs and solos are just amazing on this album. There are a lot of cool riffs; I could not list them all or else this review would be really long. I'll mention a few however. The main riff/intro riff to Wolf's Blood shows what this album is about -metal. The squealing pinch harmonics on Evil Star's intro riff is another awesome part. The Dark is another cool song, which begins with a blazing guitar solo.

Another reason why I like this album is because of how the music flows together perfectly. Every part blends in together to form the song(s). If one part was left out then the whole thing would fall apart. This can be easily seen on the sweet instrumental Transylvanian Twilight. The riffs connect with the singing which connects with the drums, and add perfect production and you get an awesome album. Wolf is headed in the right direction. If you have not heard this album yet, then you are missing out on a lot. All metal heads would enjoy this album. It is packed with awesome songs, including two cool bonus tracks (Die By the Sword and I'm Not Afraid of Life). There is also a nicely done cover of Blue Oyster Cult's (Don't Fear) The Reaper. You will bang your head throughout this whole album, I promise!!!