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POWERWOLF
Preachers Of The Night

Napalm (2013)
Rating: 7.5/10

Formed in 2003, Powerwolf are a German power metal band that have a strong affinity for Romanian werewolf legends, vampires, and the darker corners of religious tales. While distinctly power metal in sound, their presentation features corpse paint and a host of more extreme visual elements.

Preachers Of The Night is the band’s first full-length album since 2011’s Blood Of The Saints and the band’s fifth studio album overall, although they have also released a live album and participated in a split EP with Lonewolf, Mystic Prophecy and Stormwarrior as well.

The epic, over-the-top, cheekiness of ‘Amen & Attack’ embraces the album’s title wholly by opening the package with a fist-pumper that is part battle-cry and part dark sermon. The song is punctuated by both traditional metal and semi-operatic vocals, although refreshingly delivered by the same vocalist; Attila Dorn is part Bruce Dickinson and part King Diamond on downers.

There are a number of powerful songs that standout once this album gets rolling. The gothic keyboard work that weaves incantations around galloping guitars on ‘In The Name Of God (Deus Vult)’ is wildly catchy, something that power metal really lacks right now. ‘Sacred And Wild’ is a fist-pumper that demands the listener participate, bringing to mind late-80s Iron Maiden, Edguy, early Helloween, and classic Running Wild. It manages to have its own edge though lyrically, as if the ghost of those bands were bringing the Brothers Grimm to life.

‘Coleus Sanctus’ and ‘Nochnoi Dozor’ embrace the band’s operatic side more fully. I’m not generally a fan of power metal’s love for the operatic but Powerwolf never let up, so even when they fully engage that side of themselves they maintain the same vocal aggression the other songs have and, as a result, the songs stay inflated and bombastic throughout.

‘Lust For Blood’, although far from my favourite song here, is a good representation of the balance the band strikes between the two worlds. ‘Kreuzfeuer’ is a slower moving song than the others but brings a Rammstein-type feel to the mix that makes it stand out from the pack immediately.

Seeing as this is my first experience with Powerwolf, I don’t have much of a historical perspective. That being said, Preachers Of The Night leaves me feeling like I have been missing out on something wonderfully unique overall, despite it’s sometimes stereotypical musical delivery. While the music tends to blend together after a while, the energy keeps the album enjoyable from start to finish.

Mark Fisher

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