WarWolf – The Apocalyptic Waltz
Origin: Cologne / Germany
Release: 29.09.2023
Label: Metalapolis Records
Duration: 01:03:40
Genre: Heavy Metal
A good year after the publication of Necropolis publish WarWolf already their second album. Also The Apocalyptic Waltz suitable for all friends of New Wave of British Heavy Metal a perfect match. Of course, the second album also has a clear orientation Iron Maiden noticeable from the first moment.
While the band was still focused on creating on their debut Iron Maiden At the beginning of the early 1980s, a lot of things resonate The Apocalyptic Waltz more like after the 2000s. Only the band can explain whether this is an unconscious or well-thought-out maturing process. But one thing is fact: WarWolf sound more mature on the second work and easily conjure up melodies and songs that Iron Maiden To our regret, we haven’t been able to do so in such large numbers for a long time.
Bloodsuckers in 3/4 time
Although album number two doesn’t tell a coherent story, there is still a rough framework around vampires, their hunters and the eternal fight between good and evil. This gives every fan of fantasy enough material for their own head cinema and ends in the great and detailed artwork, which alone justifies the vinyl purchase.
With Apocalyptic Waltz The longest track opens the album at over eight minutes. The slow, lively beginning in 3/4 time is replaced by an elevated mid-tempo and conveys a musical familiarity from the first bar. And so they play and sweep WasWolves also through the following tracks. The harmonies of the twin guitars meet a booming bass and everything comes together in comprehensible and melodic choruses. The material is consistently so good that I find myself looking for weak points. But everything fits and so it remains the listener’s personal choice to choose their favorite pearls.
Moments of perfection
Nevertheless, I would like to point out a few special moments. Silver Bullets is in second place, but due to its power it would have been a contender for the perfect opener for me. Die In Dignity shines with great guitar melodies and Flying Dutchman goes straight to the ear. With Rivers Of Blood there is a vocally demanding ballad and at Legacy Of Salemwhich you HERE you can hear, another 100% charge Iron Maiden.
WarWolf save a surprise until almost the end. The penultimate piece Resistance is an instrumental and the big unexpected banger on the album. In this song the focus is on the musicians having fun on the instruments. You can literally feel the joy of playing and the broad grins of the musicians as they play the melodies. The album ends with Van Helsing’s Dream. Although sings Andreas von Lipinski here too based on Bruce Dickinsonbut a little more Teutonic Metal shines through and brings the album to a worthy end with its own note.
Nobody is left out here
WarWolf have so many ideas that twelve songs lasting over an hour were created. Unfortunately, due to space constraints, only eight songs fit on vinyl, so it’s perfect that the record also comes with a CD edition with all twelve songs. The vinyl lover’s heart will smile because there is the chic cover in large format, eight tracks on blue vinyl and alternatively all the songs on the CD.
Conclusion
WarWolf continue seamlessly with the previous album and show themselves The Apocalyptic Waltz imaginative and playful. The album mixes pearls in the style of Iron Maiden with Teutonic Heavy Metal and completes everything with a successful production. 9 / 10
Line Up
Andreas von Lipinski – Gesang
Frank Noras – guitar
Peter Müller – guitar
Florian Abegg – Bass
Holger Bloempott – drums
Tracklist
01. Apocalyptic Waltz
02. Silver Bullets
03. Spawn Of Hell
04. Die In Dignity
05. Flying Dutchman
06. Jealous Clown
07. Rivers Of Blood
08. Kingdom Of Fools
09. Legacy Of Salem
10. Bloodlines
11. Resistance
12. Van Helsing’s Dream
Links
Facebook WarWolf
Instagram WarWolf
Also on Soundmagnet.eu
Album Review – WarWolf – Necropolis
EP Review – Tomb Of Giants – Legacy Of The Sword
Interview – Warwolf, asked by Andreas von Lipinski
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