Powerwolf - Call of the Wild (2021)

There are two things that are guaranteed in life: death and taxes, one more thing that should be added as a third guarantee: Powerwolf will deliver epic music. With “Call of the Wild”, the band returns with over 40 minutes of high-octane lush Power Metal unlike any other band can deliver... maybe Sabaton, but that is it. Filled with epic songs, soaring choirs and arrangements, alongside the band’s traditional hilarious lyrics, this release is what everybody was expecting.. and then some.

Opening with “Faster Than the Flame”, the band slowly builds ambiance before exploding into lush vocal arrangements, and a very perky overall feeling of epicness. Attila Dorn’s signature lead vocals mark way for expertly crafted Power Metal antics, including blistering guitar solos and superbly crafted drumming as tracks like “Beast of Gévaudan” and “Dancing with the Dead” deliver. The band’s cheeky musical style feels more refined, as the songs feel more grandiose than before.

With short and very concise track lengths, each song delivers a unique story narrated as epic as possible, tracks like “Varcolac” and “Alive or Undead” perfectly exploit the use of multiple vocal tracks and the dramatic keyboards of Falk Maria Schlegel. We found ourselves quite enjoying pieces like “Blood for Blood” that take a more folkier approach, similar to bands like Ensiferum and Eluveitie. Your undeniable catchy and epic songs in this release have to be the playful “Glaubenskraft” and the lushness of “Call of the Wild” and “Sermon of Swords”.

In terms of the cheeky lyrics, we particularly enjoyed pieces like “Revernt of Rats” and “Undress to Confess”. Overall, the Power Metal foundations of “Call of the Wild” are quite heavy and enjoyable, while the dressing on top in terms of orchestrations and vocal arrangements further elevate the band’s music into highly epic territories. If you like the band’s fantastic back catalogue, you will love this release. If you have never heard of them before, but like Power Metal, you will also love them. We can only hope the band finally tours the USA with this excellent release.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: July 16th, 2021

Genre: Power Metal

Country: Germany