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LIGHTNING WOLF
Alive EP

Self-released (2022)
Rating: 6/10

St. Louis, Missouri-based rockers Lightning Wolf should garner some attention with this new EP, which comes four years after their debut full-length Free. The artwork alone should catch your eyes, while the ears will no doubt be enticed by the vocal power of guitarist Dan Mans who fronts this trio.

Put simply, Lightning Wolf is straight up heavy rock that could have its origins or influences from anywhere in the 80s, and maybe that’s also the drawback because if, like me, you were there in the 80s then you may question the appeal in such derivative grooves.

However, there’s enough fire here to torch the ears as the band bridges the gap – especially on opening track ‘Call Of The Wild’ – between, say, The Cult and the much lesser known Seattle rockers War Babies who emerged at the wrong time. The vocals do have that rich Brad Sinsel feel and the guitars are just as fresh and crunchy too.

You only get three tracks here. ‘2:1’ is an uptempo rocker featuring a nice rocky bass flow from Tim Kutterer, and Jesse Schobel’s drums rattle throughout. It’s masculine rock dripping with sweat and male testosterone, but even with such power and energy I’m not sure there’s enough here to give it an identity.

As I say, the 80s and early 90s were jam-packed with these sorts of no frills bands that often acted as fine support acts for bigger and better groups. And while the choruses and riffs here do catch, I’m not exactly overawed.

The title track begins nicely providing a bit of atmosphere, but the standard clanking which follows is what made AC/DC famous decades ago. This is common ground metal that drifts a little too close to the middle of the road.

Neil Arnold

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