Seasons of the Wolf - Seasons of the Wolf
Independent
Heavy Metal
7 songs (32:44)
Release year: 1996
Reviewed by Thomas
Archive review

Here's proof that if you dig deep you could find some absolute gems back in the dark 90's when metal as a whole was less welcoming than cancer. Seasons of the Wolf actually rose from the underground back in the late eighties but never became anything more than a demo band then. This, their self-titled debut came out in '96, yet sadly didn't create more than an occult stir in the shadows rather than the uprising it should have caused. Seasons of the Wolf breathe and bleed the old school. Mixing both the doom and traditional elements of Black Sabbath with Blue Oyster Cult and even Deep Purple with their own little trippy, proggy passages they create something special. They've been dubbed new age metal, but aside from the slightly acidic keys, I really don't see this as anything else than metal the way it should be done

A bit off the wall, they enter with Victim of Darkness. Bizarre keys and hissing guitars pulls you into the wolf's maw, and Wes Wadell's snarling, high-pitched howls will rip you apart.

Wadell doesn't sound too unlike Jon Oliva but is occasionally reminiscent of Terry Jones of the magnificent Pagan Altar as well. He can be intense and nasal, but he can also drive entire songs by himself with his keen sense of melody like on the mystic October Moon and finishing offering 10,000 - 10,000.

And the riffs, oh man the riffs. Firstly, the guitar-sound is so simplified yet so chock full of juice that it's ridiculous. In other words, Barry Wadell knows how to knob his sound, pour his soul into it and melt your face with groovy, doomy, rockin', ravishing axemanship. Mandatory bluesy licks and leads also makes sure to bring more sexy into this brilliant debut.

As Misty Shades of Green slides a knife between your ribs you know you're hooked and realize Seasons of the Wolf brings a lot to the table. There's a lot of variety here, yet the quality never diminishes. The chilly, dark atmosphere runs throughout, and by the end of Quiet Earth your blood will be black. Trust me and get this, it's an absolute gem with not a single shit moment.

Killing Songs :
Everything slays but Victim of Darkness, October Moon and Misty Shades of Green are definite favourites.
Thomas quoted 93 / 100
Other albums by Seasons of the Wolf that we have reviewed:
Seasons of the Wolf - Nocturnal Revelation reviewed by Thomas and quoted 85 / 100
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