Following last year's mini-album All Hell's Breaking Loose... and their debut Live Fast Die Fast, Rick Rubin's Tamworth signing return to form with a collection of twelve tracks recorded this time in Blighty at the famous Abbey Road studio with Brendan O'Brien handling the controls.
The album is, as you would expect, basically WOLFSBANE playing live in the studio, performing a 'no mess' set of their particular rawk n' roll. It kicks straight into opener "Smashed and Blind," a track with some very impressive fret-board wandering from Jason Edwards, that is a pretty good taster of what is to come.
Throughout side one, the boys play their way through heavy-hitting numbers, the best of which are the first single "Ezy" and "Twice As Mean." At times the songs are very reminiscent of some of the bands that surfaced during the NWOBHM at the beginning of the 80s, but that's what Wolfsbane are, a very British heavy rock group who make no pretensions about trying to sound like something they're not.
Side two continues in a similar vein, but is undoubtedly the stronger of the two. Three of the album's stronger songs, "After Midnight," "Temple of Rock," and the ballad "Moonlight," not only show them to be competent musicians, but also show them to be reaching new heights as songwriters.
The album is, as you would expect, basically WOLFSBANE playing live in the studio, performing a 'no mess' set of their particular rawk n' roll. It kicks straight into opener "Smashed and Blind," a track with some very impressive fret-board wandering from Jason Edwards, that is a pretty good taster of what is to come.
Throughout side one, the boys play their way through heavy-hitting numbers, the best of which are the first single "Ezy" and "Twice As Mean." At times the songs are very reminiscent of some of the bands that surfaced during the NWOBHM at the beginning of the 80s, but that's what Wolfsbane are, a very British heavy rock group who make no pretensions about trying to sound like something they're not.
Side two continues in a similar vein, but is undoubtedly the stronger of the two. Three of the album's stronger songs, "After Midnight," "Temple of Rock," and the ballad "Moonlight," not only show them to be competent musicians, but also show them to be reaching new heights as songwriters.
This is a progression for the band that will not only please the converted, but should break new ground for them.
Grade B
Nick Douglas
Riff Raff
November 1991
Riff Raff
November 1991
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