If you've never had the pleasure of listening to Powerwolf, then you are missing out. The band stray from the standard norms of power metal, focusing on darker lyrical subjects and painting their faces with corpsepaint. Blessed & Possessed is their sixth studio album.
The album opens up with the gothically tragic sounding title track, mixing a flurry of guitars, haunting organs and soaring vocals into song. The chorus hooks you, leaving you wanting to hear more of the song. Dead Until Dark greets you with an assault of melodic passages and poignant vocal melodies though the lyrics are predictably Powerwolf's. The varying instrumentation in Army of the Night make for perfect dance partners, as if the song itself were a grand-yet-crepuscular ball with music all of its own.
Armata Strigoi (allegedly Romanian for Undead Army) weaves together a tale of vampires as the instruments parallel one another following its grandiose opening. We Are The Wild comes across as a reworking of Sacred & Wild in places and in other sections, as a completely different song all together. The vocals and music travel at different paces but this works out well as both reach their intended destination. The highlight of the song is the august guitar solo that is followed by emotive orchestration.
Higher Than Heaven races forth with galloping organ steps and jumping guitars, both of which are backed up by the hefty sounding drums. Where as Christ & Combat is a well-planned battle strategy, commandeered by the authoritative vocals that lead the guitars and organs into a bloody foray with reinforcements provided by the drums and bass. Sanctus Dominus (Latin for Holy Lord) is very much like a hymn in the chorus but ignoring that one flaw with the track, the guitar flesh out a very NWOBHMesque approach to their sound and the vocals display a dynamic range.
Sacramental Sister begins like a guitar passage from Iron Maiden's Hallowed Be Thy Name and provides some energetic moments and really demonstrates the talents of each member. All You Can Bleed is a very poetic track, offering little nibbles of darkness before the dusk-tinted sobriety of Let There Be Night closes the album with atmospheric orchestration and twilit vocals.
Blessed & Possessed is just the latest chapter in Powerwolf's ever-darkening saga and it shows that they have no intention of slowing down and letting a younger pack take their place just yet. With a combination of old and new influences alike, this is one of the best power metal albums of the decade.
Powerwolf online:
http://powerwolf.net
http://facebook.com/powerwolfmetal
