Powerwolf returned in July 2024 with “Wake Up the Wicked”, another record full of their trademark, over-the-top style: church organs, lyrical sacrilege and power metal in full bloom. Eleven tracks in 37 minutes, with the big choirs and catchy choruses that have made the band one of the most recognizable representatives of power metal — with the wolf-masked mascot once again starring on the cover.
Country: Germany
Genre: Power Metal
For fans of: Sabaton, Judas Priest, Powerwolf
The listen
Powerwolf have two speeds: at their best they deliver some of the most enjoyable, commanding tracks in the genre, and when not, they settle into a competent but indifferent level. The 2011 record “Blood of the Saints” belongs almost entirely to the first category, and here there are a few tracks that approach those heights: “1589” and its neighbours “Heretic Hunters” and “Viva Vulgata” form a strong trio, with Attila Dorn throwing his voice into choruses built to stick in your head. “1589” recounts the execution of the supposed werewolf Peter Stumpp with keys and a historical mood.
Their sound remains familiar: heavy metal with power metal ornamentation, just like the heavy metal that is their enduring influence — and generally, whatever holds true for Judas Priest at this stage of their career, no one expects them to change radically. The problem is that most of “Wake Up the Wicked” falls into the second, mediocre category: “Joan of Arc” sounds like a second-rate version of Sabaton, “Thunderpriest” wastes its wonderful name on an indifferent fast race, and the remaining tracks are capable but quickly forgotten.
The production matches the band’s big sound and everything ties together aesthetically, but the moments that make you hit repeat are missing. For Powerwolf fans the record is fine — for anyone else, there are a few tracks for a playlist and few reasons to come back. The band’s story has been written consistently for two decades, from their 2005 debut to today, and “Wake Up the Wicked” is just another chapter — neither among the best, nor among the worst.
See also
Noveria – Becoming After: A strong power metal album · Urakka – The Bridge
Source: angrymetalguy.com/powerwolf-wake-up-the-wicked-review/
