Powerwolf is back with their new opus. While I'm still waiting for a bad or simply quite inferior album from this band, it doesn't seem likely to arrive any time soon.

Blessed & Possessed is pure Powerwolf at its paroxysm. And if you know the band already I could (really!) stop the review here :). It's fast, it's heavy, it's melodic, it's epic and it's relentless, grandiose and inspired. The guitars riffs are extremly strong and powerful with some really magical ones sometimes. The wonderfully lyrical vocals and band trademark's church-like choirs are as powerful as ever. In fact this album feels like a compilation of the best work the band has made up until now. Somehow this is a double edge sword though in my opinion, since it also means it sounds a lot (if not almost exactly) like the past 3-4 albums. Overall I enjoy the fact that the album is focusing mostly on fast songs (something I'm extremely happy about, not being a fan of mid-tempos myself). But then it begs the question, since everything seems so familiar, has the band reached the point of diminishing returns ? Personally I don't think we're there yet, and this album is the culmination of everything that makes Powerwolf such a great, head banging, Power Metal act.

And what if it sounds all too familiar? They do have a specific sound in the first place, a bit like Sabaton have their own as well. Do I mind that they tend to sound quite similar over the years ? Hell no! In fact I'd rather have gotten more albums like Black Hand Inn after Masquerade if you'll permit me to make a parallel with Running Wild rocky last decade or so. They are after all another band that does have an unmistakable sound, or used to have until say Victory, whatever came after has been mostly disappointment and culminating with the Widowmaker fiasco, which is not worth losing keystrokes to discuss how bad and how a let down to its fan that album really was. Here Powerwolf probably delivers the most rounded, most constant, filled with killer songs album of their career up to this point. Some of the melodies and chorus will stay engraved in your mind, when you go to sleep, when you wake up, when you take the shower (like Sacramental Sister... this chorus is stuck in my head all day :D). Is it their best album ? Perhaps, but since they always place the bar so high, it's difficult to chose. I still think Bible of the Beast has my personal favorite but this has more punch production wise.

So there you have it, Powerwolf has released a killer album beginning to finish, with only killer songs, its not even worth mentioning any of them, they all are fucking awesome! The only thing bothering me a tad, but it's a very small bother, and one I'm more than happy to live with, is that it kind of all sounds like what the band have delivered before, with the added plus of some truly genius guitar riffs and solos here and there. I wanted Powerwolf, I got Powerwolf, so at the end of the day mission accomplished, with flying colors. If it had been the band's first or second album it would probably get an even higher quote. If you like Power Metal and this band in general, you can buy this with your eyes closed. And if you don't know this band yet, I doubt there is a better album to start discovering how talented they are and how much neck breaking they can truly be. Supreme as always.