I’ve always adored the Powerwolf aesthetic. The use of the band’s hyper-aggressive werewolf mascot on most of their album covers and the over-the-top liturgical sacrilege of the band’s appearance and sound never fail to make me crack a smile. Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of my childhood faith tradition with my rebellious latter-day metal sainthood, but grandiose organ music about blasphemous themes is a chocolate-and-peanut-butter-level combo for me. I first cut my Powerwolf canines on 2011 release Blood of the Saints, a record I still consider to be legitimately great, and I’ve generally found something to enjoy on each subsequent release. 2015’s Blessed and Possessed was another highlight, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention 2018’s Song o’ the Year, “Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend.” I fully intended to cover the band’s most recent release, Call of the Wild, but life got in the way. So when I saw Wake Up the Wicked sitting out in the yard all by itself, I knew I couldn’t sleep on it.
I’ve always seen Sabaton and Powerwolf as somewhat kindred spirits; both projects have a consistent lyrical schtick, a gruff-voiced frontman, and specialize in Judas Priest-esque heavy metal embellished by power metal. Much like Sabaton at this point in their career, it would be insane to expect a band like Powerwolf to significantly alter their sound, so it comes as no surprise that Wake Up the Wicked sounds just like most of their other albums. Single “1589” sounds like it actually could have come off any Sabaton record as it gives us a key-drenched heavy metal history lesson about the grisly execution of alleged werewolf Peter Stumpp.
Wake Up The Wicked by Powerwolf
Powerwolf has two modes, one where they’re at their most brilliant, bombastic best, and one where their output is adequate but unexceptional. I found Blood of the Saints to be almost 100% in that former category of greatness with its huge choruses and infectious energy, and there are a couple of songs here that nearly reach those heights. The aforementioned “1589” and its bookend neighbors, “Heretic Hunters” and “Viva Vulgata,” create a pretty strong run of pompous pugnacity as vocalist Attila Dorn soars through choruses destined to invade and spread within your short-term memory. “Heretic Hunters,” especially, is the kind of tune that keeps me chained to the Powerwolf tree year after year.
Unfortunately, most of Wake Up the Wicked falls into Powerwolf’s more middle-of-the-road category. “Joan of Arc” once again sounds like Sabaton, but this time it feels like a second-rate version. “Thunderpriest” wastes its incredible name on an unremarkable fast-paced charge, and almost all of the other tracks that I haven’t mentioned land in proficient-but-not-memorable territory. As usual, the production suits the band’s huge sound, and just about everything here fits nicely within the band’s aesthetic. I just wish that a bit more of the album’s eleven tracks and 37 minutes demanded repeat listens. I generally measure my enjoyment of a Powerwolf album on the number of moments that bring out my invisible oranges or that cause me to involuntarily play the air-pipe organ, and, alas, those moments are far to infrequent on this record.
Wake Up the Wicked may be bombastic and competently executed, but there just aren’t enough highlights to warrant a whole-hearted recommendation. If you like Powerwolf, you’ll likely find this album to be perfectly fine, but outside of a couple playlistable tracks, you’ll find little to keep you around past your cursory listens.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: Stream
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: powerwolf.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/powerwolfmetal | powerwolf.net
Releases Worldwide: July 26th, 2024
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