Wolfheart – Draconian Darkness
Release Date: 6th September 2024
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM)
Order/Stream
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
FFO: Fleshgod Apocalypse, Be’lakor, Insomnium, Amon Amarth.
Review By: Andy Spoon
Finnish Melodic death outfit Wolfheart’s The Draconian Darkness features deep, surging rhythm guitar tone and heavy bass guitars to give a thick, chunky tone. The album features tonally-rich lead guitar solos that give serious energy to the tracks and help divert up the dramatic tone of the tracks, as well as break up the synth stabs and pads to keep the song interesting and non-repetitive. I was glad to hear the guitars right-in-the-front of the whole mix, something that I think is the right choice to keep the “Death” in the melodic death offering.
There are lots of moments that employ the fast-riff guitar technique that can sometimes be heard in power metal or black metal. When combined with the symphonics and chorals from the synth section, there is a cinematic effect that can be pervasive. It will really depend on if that’s your cup of tea. I think that I enjoyed it with the deep, heavy rhythm section guitar and the deep, growling vocals. On some tracks, Wolfheart employs the use of the clean vocals. I didn’t find that it rubbed me the wrong way, though, in the same way that I can enjoy Anaal Nathrakh’s use of the same. I think that mixing the tone of the track, the melodic hits, and the vocals can be a tricky maneuver, often leaving audiences to wonder if the tone has crossed over the “cheesy” boundary. I didn’t necessarily find Wolfheart to have crossed that through my initial listen. Symphonic synth and chorals set up an atmospheric, melodic overtone that’s totally dripping with musical drama. It’s not obnoxious across the entire album, which can sometimes happen in melo-death albums. I think that the synth is a great tool for this style of metal, but it can wear out its welcome. As the main instrument that fuels the subgenre, the synth has a serious place in the mix, but can’t supplant the guitars and vocals, which certainly doesn’t seem to be the case here.
I enjoyed the classic-arc of the melodic interludes and cuts. There are more than a few classical guitar riffs that set the scene for the oncoming heavier stuff. Most of the tracks have a blend of classical and “cinematic” tones that are generally supported by the classical instruments. I think that the overall tone is really well-constructed and tonally-sound. There’s a clear direction that the band gives, showing that they’ve really got their shit together. The overall product doesn’t seem mashed together or hodge-podged, something that I really think is a credit to Wolfheart’s abilities and artistic understanding of the product they wanted to create.
I think that fans of symphonic and melodic death are going to enjoy Draconian Darkness, as it really seems to display the artist’s desire for the sound. I think that what these guys have done is put together an album that really doesn’t need to lean on other projects or releases. It seems perfectly content with what it is and what you are getting from the LP. I can’t necessarily say that I’m a huge fan of the genre, particularly, but I thought that some of the tracks on the album are captivating, dramatic, and never failed to keep my interest through the great production and execution. Are these guys the next Fleshgod Apocalypse? Probably not, but I do think that they bring a little bit more of the heaviness that F.A. hasn’t shown in a lot of its work, however. This is a great album for those scratching that particular symphonic/classical death metal itch.
Draconian Darkness is set to be released on September 6th, 2024 on Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).
(4 / 5)
