There are quite a few bands with this moniker but this version seems to be the most prolific and well known. With six full lengths already released the band has become a beacon in the melodic death metal scene during that time sitting alongside other luminaries of the scene such as Omnium Gatherum, Mors Principium Est, etc. However Wolfheart aren’t content with just plying the usual high velocity warp speed guitar work of melodic death on its own, instead they like to inject a variety of subtleties that veers their music into more experimental realms.
The album opens with ‘Ancient Cold’ and immediately you are thrust into their cinematic and atmospheric poise as a symphonic aura is felt through the keyboard and orchestration arrangements by guest musician Saku Moilanen. His saturation within the songs elevates everything beautifully and when you get the soaring clean vocals it all feels so majestic. Fans of the band have already had some insight into what this album is like with the release of three singles as the first one appears in the form of ‘Evenfall’. Being more straight up melodic death gives the song has that traditional sounding ethos fans of the genre expect but blended into the mix are deluges of changes as a fine bass hook leads the song down a slower more purposeful avenue to the point where it sort of becomes groove metal only done the Wolfheart way. The addition of acoustic guitar work that virtually listens like a string arrangement, unless it actually is and I’ve misinterpreted it, is wonderful too.
Acoustic guitar definitely starts ‘Burning Sky’, its folk like ambience is superb, even slightly melancholic before the metal juts in with considerable aplomb. You can’t fail to be hooked by the wondrous melody the song has that had me scribbling Countless Skies as a newer more contemporary act to compare to. Again the orchestration is luxurious, palpably emotive as the song uses the tempo changes and mood deviations to great effect. Dense and with an overriding more brutal stance is ‘Death Leads The Way’, which opts to keep the speed mid-tempo as the chug like riff is atmospheric and grandiose.
‘Scion Of The Flame’ is opulently executed as the orchestration is supremely effective and dramatic expanding on the already passionate riffing. I really do like how this band makes their songs so stupendous and colossal sounding due to their inimitable song writing expertise. The song is also brutally heavy in parts, particularly when they unleash the pulverising double bass into the mix yet always retaining their inherent melodicism. ‘Grave’ is another song that might be familiar as it was released as a single too and opens with morose keyboard work that enables the song to detonate with explosive power as the blast beat enters the fray. Indeed the song comes across as the most vicious on the album but is still laden with epic qualities especially with the clean vocal insertions.
There isn’t a song on here that is filler material, each composition is beautifully constructed, harnessing the brutal side of death metal and coalescing it with their grandiose and monumental adornments. ‘Trial By Fire’ exemplifies this perfectly as the song unveils a sumptuous melodic death riff set against that brutal backdrop the band has always utilised. As the keyboard orchestration is implanted everything is elevated to ensure the song is remarkably opulent before closing the release with ‘The Gale’. Here we have an acoustic guitar opening which has a slight folk tinge to it before it pivots into the full melodic death. I also adore the truly dense enveloping sound this album has, it makes you feel like you’re immersed inside its sonic canvas. The clean vocal is elegantly positioned as the song shifts into a slower denser tone that takes the song to its conclusion before a mournful piano piece is added as the finale.
Yet another stunning album from Wolfheart, they continue to set the bar extremely so high in this genre that very few acts are able to mirror their unending creativity and ingenuity. Utterly brilliant on all fronts.
(9.5/10 Martin Harris)
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