Powerwolf - Lupus Dei
Metal Blade Records - SPV 085 105472 - 5 May 2007
By Jack Deming
Shown on the back of their sophomore release as scowling, sallow faced figures adorned in full corpse paint and brandishing inverted crosses, the German outfit
Powerwolf delivers a steaming, pungent plate of
Gamma Ray/Maiden influenced power metal that carries no audible hints of their slightly misplaced sinister image.
As implied by their clever name, the lyrical content of
Lupus Dei deals largely with werewolves, although vampires make appearances along with some anti christian and satanic elements tossed in for good measure. According to the band the lyrics are specifically from werewolf legends of the Romanian variety, which is puzzling because the lyrics often seem instead to concern a wide assortment of blood consuming creatures, their generally sour dispositions, and some unfortunate dilemmas that might arise if you were to find yourself pursued by one of them. But maybe I'm just not familiar with the legends.
Musically it's quite catchy at a few points;
'Mother Mary is a Bird of Prey' yanks its main rhythm and structure exactly from the chorus of
Iron Maiden's 'Aces High', which is fine with me, even if it is a bit one dimensional. At least they picked a awesome tune to rip off and replicated it as closely as possible to avoid any mediocrity seeping in.
Each listen that I sit through further exposes
Lupus Dei's clear lack of any unique qualities. Except for, you know. The werewolf thing. But really, the whole idea is just silly. There exists a certain undefinable vibe that all brilliantly silly music thrives on, and its absence here is palpable. This brand of power metal has been done countless times before and the werewolf twist isn't nearly diverting enough to keep me away from this fact. I'm sick of it already.
Official Powerwolf Website
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Official Metal Blade Records Europe Website
