Swedish retro-metallers Wolf are at least to be applauded for sticking to their guns. This, their fourth album, continues the tradition of the band’s fixation with early eighties metal. Many have tried and many have failed to revive the sounds of Priest and Accept at their pomp but Wolf do have their moments on ‘The Black Flame’.  

However a sense of humour has always been a requisite when listening to this kind of stuff. Cheesy lyrics are almost an essential when comparing like with like. Part of both Accept’s and Priest’s appeal for me was in the ambiguous silliness of the words and the fact that both bands took it all so very seriously. But that’s another essential ingredient of early eighties metal bands – to be totally into what you are doing and to hell with everyone else. Fans of this music have a fervour similar to that of a footie fan. 

The album kicks off with ‘I Will Kill Again’ and instantaneously you can see where Wolf are coming from. It’s not really open to question is it. The guitar sound is so close to Accept on ‘Restless and Wild’ that for a moment I was scurrying to see whether the band were called Wolf because Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffman was actually in it! The melted Marshall sound is the best thing about this album. Amps cooking away on eleven threatening to detach Sweden from the rest of Europe. 

Second track ‘At the Graveyard’ is so brilliantly silly that it should appeal to all lovers of the aforementioned bands. Throw a bit of Iron Maiden in there too and things are looking up. With a chorus of ‘Meet me at the Graveyard, when the clock strikes’ it is so overblown and hammer house of horror as to be beyond parody. A true gem of silliness to be appreciated by all fans of this genre. 

‘Make Friends with your Nightmares’ is pure Accept. It’s quite brilliant in its retro-ness and a bit of a highlight. But then just when things are looking good for Wolf the album sort of peters out. Niklas Stavlind’s vocals are perfectly adequate but he’s no Rob Halford and the whole thing just loses steam in the end. 

Pity as Wolf are really good at what they do. If you like eighties metal then I can’t recommend this album highly enough – mainly because no one is really doing this stuff at the moment. (Ok Priest are at it again but ‘Loch Ness’? Do me a favour!) 

If Wolf could have kept the quality up from the first half then I would have given ‘The Black Flame’ a higher rating. As it is if you like this genre and are looking for something to add to your collection then go check it out.

Let us know your views on 'The Black Flame'

Track Listing

I Will Kill Again
At The Graveyard
Black Magic
The Bite
Make Friends With Your Nightmares
Demon
The Dead
Seize The Night
Steelwinged Savage Reaper
Children of the Black Flame

Line Up

Niklas Stalvind - Vocals/Guitar
Mikael Goding - Bass
Johannes Losbäck - Guitar
Tobias R Kellgren – Drums