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WOLFEN
Evilution

Pure Legend (2014)
Rating: 8/10

Evilution is the fifth full-length release from German power thrashers Wolfen. The quintet consists of: Andreas von Lipinski (vocals), Björn Grüne (guitar), Frank J. Noras (guitar), Nico Filter (bass) and Holger Bloempott (drums).

Wolfen have been extremely consistent since debut Don’t Trust The White, which emerged in 2000. Since then, they’ve effortlessly combined melodic thrash metal with strong power metal grooves, booming drums and clinical guitar work all built around the potent vocal approach of Andreas von Lipinski.

It’s very much contemporary by design, although there are occasional flirts with old school metal and one can only be impressed by the lead work which weaves its way through the mire of majestic bass, percussion and rhythm guitar. The end result is that Evilution is more than just a steady master class in fusing power and subtlety to the point that the tracks embed themselves into the ears and stay there for a long time afterwards.

I’ve said it many times before that a lot of this sort of modern metal leaves me a tad cold, and I’ll admit that there are moments within this opus which I just cannot get on with. Nevertheless, the weight of this album is so substantial at times that I’m often left overlooking the minor gripes in favour of the majestic grooves which the band constructs.

‘50 Dead Men Walking’ has a distinctive mid to late 90s metal feel to it; oddly, at times von Lipinski reminds me of Sacred Reich’s Phil Rind as he barks his way through the track, his chops working well in tandem with that pacey belligerence before that ascending chorus which takes the song to new levels. ‘Digital Messiah’ is equally hammering with that opening chug; von Lipinski lowers the tone here to a more menacing snarl but the sound literally booms out of the speakers as the drums slam away in reckless fashion, holding the whole pounding melody together.

Another top-notch tune is the rattling ‘Eternity’; again, it’s a case of epic sounding power thrash which at times would have fitted well into the late 80s scene, but what sets it apart from mere nostalgia are the modern dynamics and those big, boastful choruses. ‘Eternity’ is a prime example of how that chorus comes striding out confidently from the initial mesh of crushing metal. ‘The Flood’ follows suit but adds an even bigger dose of clunking metal, and this is one of the tracks that took me longer to get into. I’m still on the fence with it, preferring the more direct juggernaut approach to the subtle nuances, but it’s still heavy as hell metal.

‘Chosen One’ is another of those muscular melodies which remains instant and almost flawless. For sheer pounding heaviness then just take a good listen to ‘Pure Culture’, which is undoubtedly the thrashiest track on the opus. The only track that really grates on me is ‘The Irish Brigade’, but it’s one duff minor – lyrically, vocally and musically – I can forgive the guys for.

Wolfen have constructed an almighty record here, one which serves up a huge wallop to the senses, because while never flashy, Evilution is one solid ball of rock pretty much from start to finish.

Neil Arnold

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