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Powerwolf

Bible Of The Beast

Written by: EW on 07/05/2009 22:35:06

German Dracula-obsessed metallers Powerwolf love Romanian myth, anthemic metal tunes, and with album no. 3, "Bible Of The Beast", a dressed-up and glorified version of much cheesy German power metal we have all heard a million times. Ah but you see, Powerwolf may be separated from the hordes in your mind for at least two minutes because they look different, and as such, an objective review is made that slightly bit tougher.

Powerwolf are a mixture of different bands, essentially formed with the intention of playing at Wacken. You have your Turisas, Dimmu Borgir, Iron Maiden, Iced Earth, Manowar, Falconer, Dragonforce, Amon Amarth and no doubt lots of power metal bands loved inside the borders of Deutschland only. But dressed as extras in a Transilvania/Dracula horror land and with some of the most infectious metal tunes i have heard in, well, ever, I actually like it. 'Like' in the context of a greasy McDonalds meal before a gig - you know it's no good for you and you'll probably regret it, but with the festival season nearly upon us, it just feels so right. Beneath the well-produced simplistic riffs and church organ you have got a collection of songs essentially created for some hugely singalongable chorusses. Vocalist Attila Dorn has a pretty good operatic vocal range but the catchy-as-AIDS flow to "Catholic In The Morning... Satanist At Night", "Panic In The Pentagram" and the wonderfully titled "Resurrection By Erection" are good enough to work with even me singing. There is a sense of Manowar's pompousness and self-glorification found in the pure edam lyrics of "Wolves Against The World" where Dorn proclaims themselves "the Priests of Metal Blade" (why have bands never bigged up their record labels before?) before all metal ceases leaving Dorn bellowing over dramatic organ accompaniment, the pride of the metal world surveyed in front of him.

Now lets get this straight - I want to dislike this. Its so overblown, so cliched in every department and resplendent in it's lack of serious depth or life-altering meaning, but if you're an alcoholic metalhead like myself then this is a good time album. And with Manowar long disappeared upon their own arses, Turisas having gone all serious and Dragonforce just too fast to properly enjoy live, maybe there is a space for a band like Powerwolf?

Download: Catholic In The Morning... Satanist At Night, Panic In The Pentagram, Resurrection By Erection
For The Fans Of: Manowar, Turisas, Dragonforce
Listen: Myspace

Release date 27.04.2009
Metal Blade Records