Wolf Counsel – Ironclad (2016)

Hailing from Switzerland, today we have Sludge/Doomsters Wolf Counsel and their sophomore release “Ironclad”. Delivering over 43 minutes of ripping tunes, the band nicely pummels the listener with tangy riffs and plenty of headbanging moments. Perfectly blending Sludgy element into a Doom core, the band crafts a unique signature style that differentiates them from the rest.

The release rips wide open with the incisive opening riffs of “Pure as the Driven Snow”. The band instantly marks their territory with piercing riffs and a very mellow and gloomy tempo. Things quickly move into the Sludge/Southern Metal territory with the catchy album title clad. Here we also get a good combination of clean and harsh vocals, making things interesting and diverse.

As the album progresses with “Shield Wall”, “The Everlasting Ride” and “Days Like Lost Dogs”, the band nicely settles with a hefty dosage of groovy riffs and tight drum patterns, all rounded up by a meaty bass guitar line. With André Mathieu and Ralph Huber delivering the riffing onslaught, singer/bassist Ralf Winzer Garcia nicely songs like a Goth-ish version of Ozzy mixed in with Shady Blue of Chrome Division.

One of our favorite songs has to be the mellow “When Steel Rains” and its solid guitar leads and killer melodic passages. As the album closes with the epic “Wolf Mountain”, which feels like a doomy version of a Heavy Metal epic track, we are left with a great impression by Wolf Counsel. The band has a unique and very well crafted sound that makes them shine. We particularly enjoyed that most track have certain elements that distinguishes them and engage the listener in different ways than traditional Doom/Sludge releases.

Label: Czar of Crickets Productions

Release: September 23rd, 2016

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal

Country: Switzerland