POWERWOLF
The Sacrament Of Sin NAPALM Germany’s power metal maniacs go lupe-y once more
GHOST MAY BE the band du jour for religion-themed theatrics and bombastic, organ-led romps that could soundtrack a Satanic musical, but Germany’s Powerwolf got there first. Led by brothers Matthew and Charles Greywolf (natch), they specialise in jaunty, melodramatic power metal show tunes with lovingly ludicrous songtitles about werewolves, vampires and, erm, biblical themes – Resurrection By Erection, anyone? – and album number seven, The Sacrament Of Sin, isn’t about to tone down that schtick.
It helps that they have a classically trained frontman in their ranks; Romanian singer Attila Down studied classical opera, and his rousing vocals give their songs a theatrical oomph. Album opener Fire & Forgive begins with a dramatic string- and organ-led intro, before giving way to pure, thundering power metal mayhem, immediately summing up Powerwolf’s modus operandi. First single, the boisterous Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend, has the outlandish lyrics covered – not to mention the equally over-the-top accompanying music video, featuring some saucy nuns.
The dramatic tones of Where The Wild Roses Have
Gone capture Powerwolf’s skill at mixing classical elements with musical theatre-worthy tunes, and perfectly showcase Attila’s immense vocals, while the playful Incense & Iron reveals what would happen if an Irish jig was merged with power metal (and who hasn’t wondered what that would sound like?). Powerwolf have plenty of instant earworms already under their belts, and while The Sacrament Of Sin isn’t as immediate a listen as some of their previous output, it’s still a solid selection.
If you’re po-faced about power metal then you’ll baulk at everything Powerwolf present from the get-go, from their over-the-top name choice to their campedup corpsepaint, never mind the music. But let that opinion slip a bit and you might discover that you desperately need some camped-up, werewolf-themed power metal in your life.
FOR FANS OF: HELL, SABATON, TWILIGHT FORCE