Formed in 1995 by Swedish Metalheads Niklas Stålvind and Mikael Goding, after 666 pints (according to them), Wolf was set to be a Heavy Metal band that was forged in the true sense of the word: HEAVY and METAL.
They had a dream, and they needed drummer Daniel Bergkvist to bring it to life. Their debut album Wolf was released in 2000. The band toured until they headed back to studio again to record their second album. Black Wings was released in 2002, and it got great reviews. The cover was made by Thomas Holm (Mercyful Fate), and they played big festivals like Sweden Rock Festival and Wacken, and they toured with Saxon. They recruited Johannes Losbäck, and again they toured. In 2004, Wolf returned to the studio and recorded Evil Star, shortly after this, Daniel Bergkvist decided to leave the band, and Tobias Kellgren (Dissection, Decameron) became their new slaughter.
Now, the band is releasing The Black Flame. The album opens with “I Will Kill Again,” a great Metal tune taking you back to the ’80s with a killer riff and a great chorus. Niklas Stålvinds vocals sounds like a combination of Vince Neil (from the early Mötley Crüe albums) and Andi Deris (Helloween), and it fits the band really well.
The second song on the album is “At The Graveyard.” It has a great intro and continues the ’80s Metal sound, with blistering solos and hammering drums. This is indeed music to bang your head to … much of the sound really reminds of early Helloween, not that it is Power Metal, but you can hear certain elements.
”Black Magic” comes across as a great old school Metal anthem. With a creepy verse, this could easily be the soundtrack of any ’80s scary movie. Lyric-wise, Wolf flirts with the darker side of life. But, you can understand that it still is just Rock ‘N’ Roll and not dark in an evil way.
“The Bite” is the fourth song on this great Heavy Metal album. Again, there is a scary mood set for the song, with more killer riffs and a great vocal performance.
One of the best tracks on the album is “Make Friends With Your Nightmares.” The intro sounds like it could have been on The Addams Family. One of the best guitar solos is in this track.
“Demon” sounds like a weak song when you hear the intro, but when the song really kicks off, you forget all about it. A really hard-hitting verse, and the solo is amazing, along with the harmony that works really well.
“The Dead” has the hardest intro on the album, and probably is the heaviest song too. You hear the drums and bass hammering throughout the song, and it really gets your blood flowing!
“Seize The Night” is a fast rocker that is destined to be a live favorite with its great riffs and a memorable, catchy chorus.
“Steelwinged Savage Reaper,” the 9th track, has a Judas Priest feel to it. You just can’t help yourself from banging your head, especially during the bridge. The song has a great tempo for chanting at live shows too!
Finally, The Black Flame finishes with “Children Of The Black Flame.” Following suit, it’s another solid track, and a great album closer, making the listener want more!
Wolf The Black Flame is 47:33 minutes of blistering ’80s Heavy Metal, and when the album is finished, you don’t know what hit you. The only right thing to do is to press the play button one more time. Enjoy!
Members
Niklas Stålvind – vocals and guitar
Mikael Goding – bass
Johannes Losbäck – guitar and backing vocals
Tobias Kellgren – drums
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