Wolf – Shadowland Review

I am writing this time about a genre I am too familiar with, heavy metal. It will also be about a band I had the pleasure to see not so long ago in action – Wolf. I always considered Wolf a solid live band as well as on CD with great vocals and riffs, but Shadowland was the album I had to review. I was blown away after hearing “Dust” and ”Shadowland” songs for the first time. Both songs have a modern touch due to the sound effects that were used, but at the same time it is so old school, also Niklas vocals shine on this one too.

Wolf. Bilder skivsläpp. Bilder: Per Knutsson.

Before I wrote this review I joined the chat on D Metal Galaxy regarding Shadowland with Niklas. I am going to discuss the following topics in this review: Song Structure, Lyrics, Artwork & Videos and in the end I’ll summarize everything.

Song Structure & Music

I love the way the album is put together as there is much dedication and consideration to it. Next to this, the album is in a flow, somehow each song fits together, but has a different musical angle than the previous album.

It would be quite exhausting to discuss songs one by one, so I’ve picked a few ones that I really liked in the sequence they are in the album.

Dust

Dust is the opening song as according to Niklas it has a cool intro. I totally agree with this. Dust has a very cool riff at the beginning, bringing you into the mood, giving a taste of what is going to come and perfectly representing the core theme of the music; timelessly and the very fact we turn into dust.

Shadowland

After hearing some great tunes and singing along to Dust, it is time for the middle section and thus the song Shadowland. Niklas explained the structure as follows: ”In the middle calm down and listen to us.” I totally support his opinion as this was the moment I started to get a hang of the album. Therefore, the core themes and self-titular song is perfectly introduced and the message effectively across.

TheIll-fatedMr.Mordrake

It would make sense to follow up with a song where you need to pay a lot attention to; Edward Mordrake. The story is quite odd, but also interesting to hear. By listening to lyrics you will understand the story as well as how it connects to the album.

Rasputin

For me this was a light song with a great riffs and words to shout along like “Rasputin”. Proccessing the previous two songs and getting ready for next song where you need a little bit of attention; ExitSign.

ExitSign

This is a song about suicide, however it’s cleverly written. There are no specific references nor it’s into your face. It is all about the feelings that come with it. A great song to end the album slowly as at this moment your attention is slowly dwindling.

In short, Shadowland offers musically a lot of diversity due to the song structure, but the songs are placed in a way that fits your attention state. The heavier songs needing more attention are placed in the middle of the album, whereas songs that bring you into the mood are at the beginning and songs that have great riffs and music just fills the rest of the album and are closing it off.

”EACH SONG PLACEMENT IS CAREFULLY PLANNED OUT“

Artwork

The artwork is straight into your face with all the bright colors, which is according to me a brilliant strategy. In combination with the lighter background it draws your attention to the faceless persons on the album cover. This perfectly connects with the core theme of the album; something timeless and how it is to be a human.

The color effects and the 3D layer on the band logo brings the name of the band forward, making it stand out from the rest. Also, the use of different colors within the logo strengthen this effect.

”THE ARTWORKS DIFFERS GREATLY FROM OTHER HEAVY METAL BANDS, HOWEVER IT IS PART OF THEIR CHARM”

Lyrics

n Shadowland Niklas dove into his subconsciousness and wrote about all the things that kept his mind busy. From a suicide up close (ExitSign), to the very fact we all will turn to dust and leave nothing behind (Dust), about being human (Shadowland). Most interestingly, some songs were created naturally like for example Niklas started to sing Edward Mordrake on his way to work.

Despite the fact of this approach all songs have a lot of depth and show a great deal of consideration. What’s more, each song will touch you personally in some way. I started to process everything and thinking about the essence of our being and being a human. In my opinion, this is what art is all about, leaving your mind puzzled and sparking a discussion.

Something I noticed in Shadowland is the different angle on lyrics of other bands alike. Whereas a lot of heavy & thrash metal lyrics express anger in songs to scream along, this album aims for consideration, reservedness and giving you room for your own judgment on the topic.

Every song connects to the timeless core theme and humanity. Each song explores a different area, however everything is fitting with each other.

”THE LYRICS ARE FULL OF CONSIDERATION“

Videos

Shadowland is accompanied by three videos: the intro song “Dust”, “Shadowland” & “The Ill-fated Mr.Mordrake” which are both the song in the middle of the album.

Dust

Dust is an impressive video. A lot of camera techniques are used giving a good taste of Wolfs. You see a lot of guitarwork to bring you into the mood for what is coming, old school heavy metal. But it also introduces all band members of Wolf and gives an overview of the sound. From time to time this footage is interrupted by a blindfolded man in prison aimlessly moving. All these elements are a great representation of the core themes; timelessly & we will all turn into dust leaving nothing behind.

Shadowland

Shadowland reflects the core teams and highlights the guitarist. Various backgrounds are used to display the guitar players, however each time they are in the shadows. The guitarists are not static, but are immersing the song and expressing the feelings. I especially love the following part: “Out of touch I wander like a ghost inside my mind, to myself, an alien who’s looking for his kind”. I think this riff and Niklas mimicking are expressing the feelings of these words. This particular part displays so many emotions and just leaves your jaw dropped.

This video is also interrupted by someone who is crawling in the shadows, making the video even more dynamic. This element again strengthened the core theme as well.

TheIll-fatedMr.Mordrak

TheIll-fatedMr.Mordrake is the second middle song. This song uses again similar techniques as the previous songs, however this time the interruptions are much longer. Another difference is that this one tells a story about Edward Mordrake which makes totally sense as the whole song was a based on a true story. As a consequence, the video makes you curious but at the same time it is a very memorable experience.

Overall, the videos are well thought; Dust is an introduction, Shadowland dives into the corethemes whereas TheIll-fatedMr.Mordrake highlights the lyrics.

”THE VIDEOS SMARTLY BUILD OUT THE TIMELESS ELEMENT OF SHADOWLAND “

Summary

Shadowland is definitely Wolf’s best work in their almost thirty year career. Everything from lyrics and song structure to videos fit seamlessly well together, strengthening each other. What makes it even more memorable is the very fact Wolf goes for an approach no other heavy metal band does. The lyrics have a quite different feeling of the album as well as the artwork. All this is displayed in the videos which help you to immerse into the album.

Shadowland is a must have album for every heavy metal fan, as well as for those who seek something fresh. This album will certainly leave your jaw dropped.

”SHADOWLAND IS A WELL THOUGHT ALBUM”
MAIr