Previously establishing themselves from 1994-2021 as Wolfen, the band would change names and styles a bit resurrecting as WarWolf. They’ve released two albums to date in Necropolis from 2022 and The Apocalyptic Waltz in 2023 – setting the stage for that all important third full-length for The Final Battle. The five-piece decided to record these ten tracks in more of an authentic manner, sans keyboards, samples, or auto-tuning to correct any mistakes. What you’ll hear is a mix of the group’s natural Teutonic traditional metal charm / finesse next to a bevy of soaring melodies and guitar work that rivals the classic Iron Maiden catalog, the collective sound primitive as if you were taking things in straight off the floor.
The guitar work from Frank J. Noras and Peter Müller sculpts itself in catchy riffs plus solid tradeoffs or harmony runs to capture a fist-waving, triumphant atmosphere. Check out the driving passages to “Burning Skies” or the acoustic to twin marching harmony possibilities that make “The Dark Emperor” standout cuts, expressing these axe players diverse skill sets – the latter featuring numerous instrumental sequences that will remind many of 1982-1984 era Iron Maiden. Thoughtful bass play courtesy of Florian Abegg amplifies the gallops or progressive nature to other songs – as “The Lycan Empire” illustrates early on. Occasionally the band sits in that mid-tempo anthem pocket that pushed Accept to major heights of popularity – “Blood & Ice” an ideal headbanger featuring those standard shout-a-long choruses that elevate audiences to their feet, screaming for more.
While the musical side of things contains plenty of might and muscle, where some people may be hit or miss in terms of really getting behind this material is in the vocal range of Andreas von Lipinski. It’s not that he lacks the pipes to hit some higher notes – there’s just a German-like personality aspect to specific melodies that he chooses that may be a touch more in the warble category (the lower register verses for the nine-minute plus title track the best example) than what one would expect from the Halford, Dickinson, or Dio class of singers. Thankfully the production values possess the right balance without pinning sounds to the grid or sounding too digital as to strip away the performances – which will make this record stand out in a modern scene where too many bands remain indistinguishable.
The Final Battle has a working-class approach that should allow WarWolf to garner some decent underground buzz – the upcoming European tour with Grave Digger and Victory a perfect chance to move more followers into their camp. An act to keep an eye on, especially if you miss 80’s-influenced heavy metal.