Outside of this new album, I am largely unfamiliar with Wolf's work. I have listened to 2014's Devil Seed a couple of times, and I feel that overall this new album is quite a bit stronger than its predecessor. Like Devil Seed however, Feeding the Machine kicks off with a fast-paced track that really sets the tone for the rest of the album - and showcases the band's love of traditional heavy metal. Shoot to Kill is a frantic, pacy metal anthem, with driving riffs from Stålvind and Johansson from the off - while Kullberg also instantly makes his mark with a tight, powerful beat. While Stålvind's voice can be a bit thin at times, he still has plenty of grit in his delivery which makes his voice a good fit for the sort of music that he writes. The verses here are delivered with a convincing snarl, while Johansson offsets the vocals with some occasional knotty riffing, whereas the choruses are much simpler - with a slightly anthemic feel and a driving rhythm. It is a song that is a great introduction to the band's sound, and one that kicks the album off nicely. Guillotine is similar, although the pace here is slightly slower and the emphasis is placed on a crunchy, Judas Priest-esque riff from the off which essentially holds the whole song together. The guitar work here is less flamboyant than during the previous song, but this helps to create a heavier, denser vibe - with Kullberg providing occasional bursts of double bass drumming to add colour. The song has a darker vibe than the opening track, thanks to some spooky backing vocals present during the snappy choruses and more of a focus on big power chord riffs. There are still moments of excess however, with a flashy solo proving to be a highlight. Dead Man's Hand doubles down on the tougher sound established during the previous song by further slowing the tempo and adding occasional cold synths into the mix. There is something of a Mercyful Fate influence that can be heard here occasionally, particularly during the shrieking chorus that makes great use of backing vocals to really enhance Stålvind's snarling delivery. The occasional synths help this darker atmosphere to permeate too, adding an unsettling layer of murk to the song that meshes well with the deliberate riffs and booming drums. Midnight Hour is a lighter-sounding track, with more of an emphasis on 1980s melodic metal. A simple, repetitive riff drives the song, with the heaviness of the previous handful of tracks largely absent. This is still a metal song, but there seems to be more of a strong hard rock influence here, with plenty of emphasis on both melody and groove. Egberg's bass plays an important role in keeping the song moving at such a steady and infectious pace - while Stålvind allows himself to let rip a little during the choruses, making them into rallying cries which are a stark contrast to the precise verses. It is an instantly-memorable song, and therefore it is unsurprising that the song was chosen as the album's lead single.
Mass Confusion is similar to Guillotine with a strong, mid-paced heaviness - but the emphasis on guitar leads throughout the track makes it all the more memorable and melodic. The song opens with some soaring guitar lines that instantly will pull the listener in, and this approach rarely lets up at all throughout the song. Johansson lays down lick after lick throughout the track, with the verses full of little lead patterns to keep things interesting - while the choruses go for a more groove-based approach with a tough riff and more big backing vocals. Thanks to the song's focus on lead guitar moments, the guitar solo here is a lengthy one. Most Wolf songs have shredded solos, which is something of course typical of traditional heavy metal in general, but the offering here seems to be particularly lengthy and it really allows the player - presumably Johansson - a chance to shine. The Cold Emptiness opens with a memorable neo-classical style guitar riff that builds as the song opens up. Wolf are generally fans of using weightier riffing in their songs, so the use of more of a melodic approach here is welcome. The meat of the song here sounds like a bit of a mix of the heavier end of Yngwie Malmsteen's output and Iron Maiden, all wrapped up in the band's typical crunchy and snarling style. The slight shift towards a more melodic approach here does not drastically alter the sound of the song however, with Stålvind's voice keeping the song firmly in line with the rest of the album - although the stylistic change does present a different flavour. The album's title track follows, and ups the pace again to similar speeds seen throughout the opening number here - although this is only after a spooky, Black Sabbath-esque atmospheric intro is out of the way. The main riff here is very memorable, and again recalls Mercyful Fate somewhat, before a galloping verse takes over that really showcases Stålvind's snarling voice and the band's penchant for simple arrangements. Despite the speedier approach taken here, the song is still very memorable. The chorus goes for something resembling a gang vocal approach, with lots of powerful backing vocals that are likely to be replicated by a crowd when the song is played live. It is probably one of the album's most memorable choruses, and it sticks in the brain for a long time due to its simplicity and power. Devil in the Flesh ups the pace again, and goes for driving metal rhythms led by Kullberg over memorable guitar riffing. This is a song that revels in the energy that it creates, and is more concerned with maintain a pace and vibe than presenting a more dynamic front. The choice works well however, as the riffing utilised is razor sharp and really helps to carry the song - while Stålvind unleashes a particularly potent vocal performance throughout, showing the harsher side of his voice. Many of the songs on the album are mid-paced tracks, or songs that are perhaps only slightly faster than this, so it is refreshing to see the pace increased here to such a degree.
Spoon Bender returns to the album's more usual mid-paced territory, but it does so with one of the more memorable riffs here that also includes some strong Egbeg bass playing - which acts as a strong counter the main guitar lines. This is another pretty simple song, but the grooves throughout are very strong which helps to give it something of an infectious quality. The grooves really help the melodies to stand out, which is perhaps why the chorus here seems particularly catchy despite its extreme simplicity. The Raven returns to the somewhat spooky atmospheres conjured up elsewhere, with a dynamic approach that mixes fast-paced sections (that are perhaps the fastest on the album) with more low-key sections that see much of the instrumentation drop out to leave Stålvind's voice alone with a haunting groove-based backing. Wolf's songwriting style is usually very simple, but this is perhaps the most 'progressive' arrangement featured on the album. It is not a song that sticks with one idea for too long, and I like the way different riffs and moods are used here. Some of the song's opening sections border on thrash pace and heaviness, while other portions are much more groove-orientated with a darker feel - and there is even a catchy wordless vocal refrain that surfaces occasionally to further shake things up. It is easily the most creative and varied piece here, and as a result it is one of the album's standout cuts. Black Widow opens with some screaming guitar leads, but soon things settle down into more of a mid-paced chug that continues throughout the whole song. There is more emphasis on strong grooves here, and there are even a few riffs included that sound like less-heavy versions of patterns Pantera or Lamb of God might have come up with - but they still fit nicely into the Wolf's established sound. Wolf do strong grooves well, and Egberg certainly plays his part on the album to create them. His bass is often quite prominent in the mix, which is good. All too often the bass is buried on metal albums, so it is great to hear Egberg's playing highlighted throughout this album quite often. The album comes to a close with A Thief Inside which opens with a stand-alone guitar riff that Stålvind soon starts to sing over. Most Wolf songs do not take long to get going, and often open with a big riff, but this song takes its time a bit more - with an effective slow build around the opening guitar riff that the rest of the song gradually envelops. The song often returns to this more simple arrangement, with the stark riffing resurfacing sometimes to act as a contrast to the more full, melodic sections filled with Alice Cooper-esque vocals and haunting guitar lines. It is a bit of a different-sounding song for the album, but it works well and Stålvind's presence ensures that it still sounds like Wolf. It is a strong end to the album, with a few more twists and turn than some may expect. Overall, Feeding the Machine is a very enjoyable slab of traditional metal from Wolf that has provided something of a proper introduction for me to the band. I find the album to be largely a safe, but very solid, listen that occasionally takes the odd turn to keep things sounding fresh - and I look forward to hearing more of the band's work in the future.
The album was released on 20th March 2020 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Midnight Hour.
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