Review Summary: “Long-time fans might not agree with me, but I’m glad this band broke up when they did… Don’t get me wrong, the album was really good but where do you go from there besides up your own ass?” © Trey (Staff) (a review for Believer’s 2009 Album)
All right, boys and girls, this time I’ll make a list so that my most important points will be clearly visible and I won’t have to worry that much about the review’s cohesiveness. Fasten your seatbelts, this time Wolfsbane will give you a hell of a ride!
1. This is as no-frills as it gets.
We do know the reasons why Wolfsbane’s third LP sounds the way it does. The year was 1994. The guys just couldn’t ride the NWOBHM wave anymore, Blaze Bayley was leaving for a bigger band, and Justin Bieber was just born. Naturally, Wolfsbane were pissed off, so the third “happy-go-lucky” album in a row just wasn’t an option.
All things considered, we don’t get to hear the (comparatively) softer and reserved side of the band until track number 5, and there is not a single ballad to be found (except for the hidden track ‘Say Goodbye,’ which feels like a nice and proper send-off to Bayley). Instead, the very first song ‘Wings’ kicks off with one of the heaviest and most hard-hitting riffs ever delivered by Wolfsbane, thus manifesting the band’s intent to pump things up from the get-go. The song undergoes a smooth transition into a punkish pre-chorus, only to return to the initial riffing in the actual chorus. ‘Lifestyle of The Broke And Obscure’ follows suit, opening with a throbbing bass line, yet another muscular guitar riff, and a mad shriek delivered by Blaze Bayley, later venturing even further into punk rock territory, complete with some gang vocals, but never really losing the initial heaviness. This tug of war between the groove and the speed carries on throughout the LP, defining the album’s dynamics. Still, even in those sections that are focused on speed rather than the riffs, the guitar and rhythm section backbone is much richer and fuller than on the band’s previous albums. The one song that feels like a complete throwback to Wolfsbane’s earlier sound is “Black Machine” – a good old sing-along representing an opportunity for the listener to catch a breath after the preceding beatdown and in anticipation of the new storm of riffs that follows. Besides that one song, we are mostly subjected to the grinding riffs alternating with faster parts that don't really sound like the modernized rock-n-roll of the first two albums, instead feeling more like a metalized version of Sex Pistols.
2. Bayley, Bayley, Bayley.
He did a commendable job on the second album, but didn’t sound as fresh as on the debut and overall didn’t try to reach for any new heights. In contrast, Blaze sounds revitalized here, ramping up the passion in his voice beyond any imaginable limit. He unleashes his overacting skills for the more unhinged parts of the songs (if you ever saw his concert announcement/cancellation videos, you know he can do that!) while opting for a more nuanced approach in spoken word sections, providing the necessary anthemic feel to the choruses, and spitting out the lyrics viciously in the faster parts. Heck, the “evil, evil, evil” bridge in the excruciating song ‘Violence’ suggests that Blaze could have been a good MC if he put his mind to it! Overall, this time Blaze’s vocals elevate the already strong material to new heights, adding an extra level of drive.
3. The lyrics.
It’s never a good thing to overanalyze hard rock or heavy metal lyrics. It’s safer to leave them alone most of the time. Here, however, the lyrical content is an important indicator of changing attitude, turning to a richer, more introspective, and harsher palette ranging from escapism (“Wings”) through self-deprecation (just listen to the sarcastic brilliance of “Money Talks,” folks!) to outright dark overtones (“Beautiful Lies”). Just one more sign that we are not in Kansas anymore!
4. The alum’s structure and flow.
While Wolfsbane’s first album was front-loaded, and the second just felt generally inconsistent, here we have a fully realized sound of (barely) controlled madness. As good as the first couple of tracks are (far better than most of the songs on LP No. 2, in my opinion!), it gets even better as the album progresses. The band keeps dialing up the intensity, only taking its feet off the gas pedal in selected places, and reaching culmination towards the end of the album. Here, the bass-loaded “Protect And Survive” is followed by the fast and ferocious “Violence” after a brief respite of “Black Machine,” while the closing track “Die Again” starts with a soft yet menacing intro, destined to burst out into the One Riff to Rule Them All that drives the final nail into the listener’s head!
5. Closing remarks.
I chose the Trey quote to grace my summary for a reason. I really don’t know where Wolfsbane could go after releasing such an intense, all-guns-blazing kind of album. “More of the same” approach couldn’t possibly work, so they’d have to dilute their sound or, IDK, write a country album or something? As abrupt as the group’s initial demise must have felt back in the day, it seems oddly fitting in retrospect. The boys have grown up. The transition from “We’ll have money to burn someday” to “Money talks, it says goodbye to guys like you and I” was completed. No tired sequels followed. Granted, there are the post-reunion albums, but that’s a whole different story…
