Formed in Sweden in 1995, Wolf was among the first bands to resurrect and rejuvenate the traditional heavy metal sound in the '90s, when the genre was considered dead.
Inspired by classic heavy metal bands from the '70s and '80s, Wolf laid the groundwork for the genre's triumphant return in subsequent years. Over the course of their nine albums, the band has been seen by many as the originators of the new wave of traditional heavy metal. Their upcoming tenth album, 'Hour of the Wolf', is an uncompromising release that stays true to the band’s roots while expanding the sound of classic heavy metal. Wolf has never tried to sound modern, or even retro, and has proven time and again that they follow no trends. They simply stick to their vision of what heavy metal should be. "We wanted to make an album that could fit on one side of a 90-minute cassette tape, just like the albums used to back in the day. Our goal was to create an album that you would want to listen to from start to finish and then play again. I think we accomplished that," comments vocalist and guitarist Niklas Stålvind on the nine new tracks. „It’s diverse enough without losing the classic Wolf sound.“
Everything about Wolf is authentic.
Thomas Holm, who created most of the previous Wolf front covers as well as iconic artworks like „Don’t Break the Oath“ and 'Melissa' (Mercyful Fate) and Abigail' and 'Them' (King Diamond), once again created the eye-catching artwork. "I told him the album title, the song titles, and the mood of the album. The oil paintings are his visual interpretations of our music. His work is the antidote to the increasingly common AI "art." We are the real deal, and we want the real deal," states the frontman. Wolf keeps it in the family. They recorded the entire album in their own studios and bassist Pontus Egberg took on the role as producer. "We're fortunate to have so much talent in the band. We don't need to outsource anything," says the vocalist. He adds, "Pontus is a very good musician, and he's much more structured than I am. That gave me the freedom to focus more on the artistic side of it all."
Limited red black splatter vinyl pressing.
*Please note, image is a mock up only, actual colours may vary on finished product*
Tracklisting:
1. Death Satellite
2. The Music of Erich Zann
3. Walpurgis Night
4. Streets of Necropolis
5. Waltz Post-Mortem
6. Hour of the Wolf
7. Above the Fallen
8. Doppelgänger
9. Dirty Little Secret
