Released By: Napalm Records
Release Date: Out Now!!
Genre: Power Metal
Links: http://www.powerwolf.net/
Line Up:
Attila Dorn – Vocals
Matthew Greywolf – Guitar
Charles Greywolf – Guitar
Falk Maria Schlegel – Organ
Roel van Helden – Drums
Tracklist:
1. Amen & Attack
2. Secrets Of The Sacristy
3. Coleus Sanctus
4. Sacred & Wild
5. Kreuzfeuer
6. Cardinal Sin
7. In The Name Of God
8. Nochnoi Dozor
9. Lust For Blood
10. Extatum Et Oratum
11. Last Of The Living Dead
Since 2009 one of my favorite power metal bands has been Powerwolf, who blew me away with their third album Bible Of The Beast, which was filled from front to back with one ridiculously catchy and irresistible anthem after another. The follow up Blood Of The Saints was almost as energetic and unforgettable as its predecessor. Now with their recently released fifth album Preachers Of The Night, they’re looking to make it three masterpieces in a row. Not so surprisingly, they have succeeded and delivered 11 more classic songs that will surely be stuck in my head for years to come.
They are slowly starting to get more attention around the world, and have already made quite the name for themselves in their home country Germany, where this album managed the impressive feat of topping the national music charts. For those unfamiliar with the band, they play a fairly straight-forward brand of German power metal, but with an emphasis on melody and ridiculously epic choruses and arrangements. As a result they still have the killer riffs you’d expect, but their songs are dominated by epic vocal parts and especially those unforgettable choruses, which are seriously some of the best possible for a metal band. If you look closely at their lineup information, you will see that instead of a keyboardist, they have an organ player. Well, the reason for this is because, both in their image and in their lyrics, they like to make fun plays on religion, and so they incorporate what sounds like a church organ into their music, which often gives their songs a darker tone and obviously it’s one of the things that makes them so unique.
But the most unique thing about Powerwolf is definitely Attila Dorn. Man, can that guy ever sing! I could just stop talking about him with that, but basically what makes him so awesome is you can tell he has a background in classical singing because he often has a theatrical, slightly operatic approach to his vocals, which sounds unique in an incredible way and allows the band to have some particularly effective choral sections. If that wasn’t enough, he also has the power and intensity you’d expect from a singer in a German power metal band, except even when he sings more aggressively I find his voice unique and more likable than just about any other power metal vocalist. He blends the two styles together seamlessly, and altogether he is simply a treat to listen to.
Anyone who has heard at least one of their last two albums should instantly feel comfortable with Preachers Of The Night, as it still has their signature sound and once again builds on what Bible Of The Beast started. Though I think in comparison to Blood Of The Saints, some of the songs are a bit speedier and more energetic, and there aren’t any heavy metal songs like “We Drink Your Blood”. One thing it definitely showcases is the band’s masterful ability to open up an album in the most epic way possible: Bible of The Beast had “Raise Your Fist, Evangelist”, Blood Of The Saints had “Sanctified With Dynamite” and now this album follows with the similar and equally awesome “Amen & Attack”, which follows the same blueprint as those two songs, but after hearing it several times I actually think its chorus may somehow even be the best they’ve ever made, it’s that addictive and catchy.
Thankfully, the band has consistently been able to maintain that high level of quality throughout their entire albums, so it’s no surprise that even after such an impressive start, Preachers Of The Night never lets up. The first surprise comes with the very next song, “Secrets Of The Sacristy” which is the closest the band has ever come to sounding like early Helloween, especially with the guitar leads, and it’s also perhaps their fastest song to date. They slow things down a bit with “Sacred & Wild” and “Kreuzfeuer”, with the former being one of a few songs to include some German lyrics, another one of the band’s traditions. While I generally prefer my power metal to be speedy, with Powerwolf the tempo doesn’t matter as much because Attila Dorn is such a good singer and because their songwriting never disappoints, and both of those statements are as true as ever on this album.
It’s really hard to pick a favorite song because everything is so good, but I’d say “Amen & Attack”, “Secrets Of The Sacristy”, “Cardinal Sin” and “Extatum Et Oratum are probably slightly more awesome than the rest. The only slight disappointment is “Last Of The Living Dead”, not so much for the song itself, which is an excellent semi-ballad and sounds very similar to “Ira Sancti (When the Saints Are Going Wild)” from Blood Of The Saints. But where it somewhat disappoints is with the fact that it’s listed as being over 7 minutes, yet the song itself ends before the 4 minute mark, with the last three minutes and change just being silence and occasional wolf howls. Obviously, though, that’s a very minor thing and can easily be forgiven when the rest of the album is as good as it is.
In short, Preachers Of The Night is every bit as awesome and impossibly catchy as its two predecessors, so Powerwolf fans can rest assured that they have delivered once again, while newcomers are just as well off starting here as they would be with Bible Of The Beast, as I’d say it stands with that one as being a very small step ahead of Blood Of The Saints. Either way, it offers some of the absolute best power metal there is. Which is to say, it’s pretty damn awesome!
Written by Travis
Ratings Travis 10/10
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