Lonewolf hail from the southeast of France in the city of Grenoble, and with them have brought a history of hard-edge metal going as far back as 1993. Lonewolf temporarily broke up in 1996 but reformed in 2000 and since then have released eight full-length albums which brings us to their latest release ‘The Heathen Dawn’.
‘The Heathen Dawn’ was my introduction to Lonewolf, so I cannot compare their previous releases. I was impressed straight away from my first listen; it started with an inspirational medieval introduction (which is always good) and explodes into an all-metal assault.
The mixture of Power Metal, Thrash Metal, and Traditional Metal is evident which adds not only an energetic element but also an easy-listening feel.
The music is very tight and the guitar work is top quality, except dual solos, insane solos, hard edge riffs, and followed by an all-out assault of rhythm.
The music is diverse ranging from fast to mid-range speed which is sometimes unexpected which is a great element to have. The vocals are very unique and definitely not the kind of vocals I have heard before. During my first listen I will admit I wasn’t too sure if I liked the vocals due to the uniqueness; after listening to it a second and third time I came to the realization that the vocals are a great fit and make the band sound different to other bands who play the same style.
My favourite track on the album would be ‘Rise to Victory’ because of its energy and it gives you the sense of inspiration and the feeling to get up and run into battle. Other tracks which are a stand out are: ‘Demons Fire’ ‘Keepers of the Underworld’, ‘The birth of a nation’.
I recommend this album to lovers of thrash, power, and traditional as I am sure that it will be enjoyed by many. If it doesn’t stick with you on your first listen try it again and it soon sticks into your mind.
Release Year: 2016
Label: Massacre Records
Category: Album
Country: France
Reviewed by Brent Logan
