Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Wulfshon - "Prinnit Mittilagart" (2011)

Self – released full length (June 21st 2011)

Line – up (2004):     Paulo Bianchi – vocals (harsh)/guitar;
                                 Matias Taubas Oyola – vocals (clean)/guitar;
                                 Sköll – bass;
                                 Ares – drums.

Location:                 Buenos Aires (Argentina).

Better song of the album:

“Son ov Wolves”.

Better feature of the production:

The vocals.

                                        Wulfshon - Prinnit Mittilagart
Cover Artwork: Matias Taubas Oyola/Betiana Pìa Kryczuk

Once upon a time there was a good stereo in my room. Okay, it didn’t (and doesn’t) provide the headphones use but this was its only problem. Now, that stereo doesn’t work anymore, or at least, it’s so for the CD – player, hence I can listen only tapes from it. Wow, in these last days I listened the excellent soundtrack of “Dirty Dancing”, I resumed its tape after a very long time. But, wait a moment, is this the review about the Wulfshon’s debut album? Be quiet, my ways to listen a CD are endless, this time I used even the DVD – player. But it’s time to buy a new stereo…

Before the release of “Prinnit Mittilagart”, Wulfshon recorder one demo and two EPs, while now they belong to the Art Gates Records stable. Moreover, they are recording their second album… and I hope they will adjust the drumsound. I know that I shouldn’t start in this way, but I observed already the plasticity of the drums, that seems to be play by a computer, despite the presence of a human drummer.

Fortunately, the band has some good qualities, playing a melodic black/death metal with acoustic passages and with a remarkable balance between the fast and the mid – tempos. The mood is often dramatic, thanks especially to a refined riffing and to the clean vocals, ranging from the spoken parts to the evocative and melodic moments, in a way similar to the Italians Sideris Penumbra. Unlike the bands of this genre, the main vocals are dynamic growls, the real screams are very rare. Besides, the soloist guitar is used with a good frequency, but it often completes the main riff, hence the solos are few.

As “Slow Death” of Exodia, also this album is divided in two parts. But this time there aren’t very remarkable differences between them. Simply, the second part has longer tracks than the first one. Another little difference is the clean vocals use, prevailing the spoken way in the first half and the melodic way in the second one.

The songs have a good personality, in particular:

1)      “To the Battlefield” is based on a mid – tempo, then it accelerates through a riffing full of death metal wickedness. But the acceleration is totally instrumental, it neither contains a solo shadow, so it isn’t very much effective, also because this part is a little long;

2)      After two songs, there is “Son ov Wolves”, that combines epic melodies with a devastating black metal madness, for the first and last time in the album. Hence, “Son ov Wolves” is unique, considering also not only its simple structure with a good solo in the middle, but even its length, being the shorter (and faster) track of “Prinnit Mittilagart”;

3)      But the greater effort of the band is represented by the 6 minutes circa of “Frozen Throne”, the following episode. It has a very long introduction (a constant for other songs), all the more so because that Paulo Bianchi starts to sing after 3 minutes of instrumental waiting. Also this track has an interesting tempestuous feeling, only the solo isn’t coherent with despairing riffing, since its follow a particular melody at the end;

4)      Then, there is “Pride and Death”, the slow song of the platter full of crepuscular melodies, the only one to haven’t fast tempos. Here, there are good variations by the drummer, while the conclusion track is instrumental but it’s very persuasive in this case, because the band is able to gives to the listeners a claustrophobic sense of ineluctability.
                                     Wulfshon - Photo
In brief, “Prinnit Mittilagart” is an album that keeps nice hopes for the future, these guys have clear ideas about their sound but, at the same time, they must improve it. I say this also because the more wicked intuitions aren’t been overworked well, preferring largely the melodic approach. In fact, “Son ov Wolves” is almost a fish out of the water, hence I advise to increase the outbursts made of pure rage. For the rest, good luck for the new album!

Rating: 71

Flavio “Claustrofobia” Adducci

Tracklist:

1 – Intro: Prinnit Mittilagart/ 2 – Death in the Light/ 3 – To the Battlefield/ 4 – The Calling of the Ancestral Blood/ 5 – Son ov Wolves/ 6 – Frozen Throne/ 7 – Pride and Death/ 8 – Cosmos Generallis/ 9 – Natura Obscura/ 10 – Outro: Ewigring

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