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Zodiac :  Metal Reputation : 1
Join date : 2014-02-25
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 | |  BlackWolf - The Hunt (2014) Album Review | |
BlackWolf - The Hunt (2014)
Self-Released / Stampede Press -- Running Time 51:48
Score: 6.5/10
Back in October 2013 I was asked, by the other site I write for, to review the first single, 'Mr. Maker' from BlackWolf's debut album 'The Hunt' and I gave it a 6.5/10 saying that for a very new band this was good stuff but that there were a couple of things that grated just a little. Now that I've been listening to the album in full for a few weeks, I am ready to tell you if those little things could be ironed out over the course of its near 52 minutes running time and on the whole they've done a decent job, but...something is still not right and I fail to see why they have created the huge buzz surrounding them in recent months!
Before all of BlackWolf's fans start shouting at me let me explain why I feel this way. This is a good old fashioned Rock album reminiscent in places of Led Zeppelin, The Answer, Kingdom Come and the more I listen to it Steelheart, it is well played and well produced, has plenty of groove and the band themselves have picked a great name and look, but I think it lacks that final spark that would turn BlackWolf from a good band into a great one. The Answer (who ironically BlackWolf are supporting on their current UK Tour) have released four albums that are better than this but they have still failed to break through like they should have. Why all of the sudden interest in a band who play a similar line of music, but not quite as well, to be touted as the next big saviour of Rock. They obviously were in the right place at the right time. All bands that do eventually 'make it' have had an element of luck somewhere along the journey, but this sort of leaves the music industry looking a bit silly when The Answer really should already be playing much bigger venues!
I do sound like I'm being over critical but BlackWolf's songs, good as they are, do lack individuality. They are all very similar in length and style and it makes the album feel three tracks too long for my liking. There is definitely filler material here. I also don't think Scott Sharp's vocals are quite as superb as everyone else is making out. He does have a good voice, but sings in a pretty high register, and when he hits some of those high points, which he does on pretty much every song, it just feels shrill and too piercing.
'The Hunt' is a good album and BlackWolf a good band, but far from being unique and special, they are doing what plenty of other retro sounding rock bands are so my previous score for the single stands as the overall score for the album. It's close but no cigar this time!
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Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment by Rick Tilley
www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351
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