Wolverine - The Window Purpose


Year of Release: 2001
Label: DVS Records
Catalog Number: DVS 005
Format: CD
Total Time: 57:04:00

Wolverine is one of those prog metal bands you just have to respect even if you don't like what their music is all about. Merely producing quality prog metal these days isn't enough if you sound like someone else, so Wolverine took it one step further and decided to release a quality prog metal disc, AND manages not to sound like anyone else as well.

The band performs what I call "true" progressive metal, in the sense that it's not music with built in progressive elements; it's progressive music with other elements thrown in for good measure. The music is heavy, dark, cold, melodic and manages to be pretty at times as well, despite the fact that this prog metal band has some death metal vocals thrown in to the vocal mix - something that most prog metal prefer not to have, but also something that is completely different for this style, and also shows that Wolverine are not afraid, and willing to create their own style of music despite what the "norm" might be at the time. Be quite prepared for something different with this band, everything from heavy / crunching prog metal, to soft / quiet ballads interjected with death growls, time / tempo changes galore, and anything else you find yourself wanting in a unique prog metal band.

I wish I could find another band to compare to for sound and style only, but I keep coming up with bands like Stonehenge, Nemesis, and other European melodic prog metal bands emerging these days, but I think it's because of the singers' tones in these bands that keep me using those names on the regular basis.

The singer, Stefan Zell, has somewhat of a tinny tone to his voice, but after a couple of listens, I find myself saying that this voice and music really do mix, especially when his voice and the growls mix up during some of the choruses ( don't let this scare you off, the death growls are used quite sparingly and at just the right times ). He doesn't have much of an accent to speak of, except maybe on the ballads when you can hear his softer voice, but for the most part, his voice is clear and precise. The guitars / keyboards provide the backbone of the sound, with neither instrument taking too much lead part. The guitars provide the crunch and the keyboards provide the driving rhythms. The drums and bass keep nice time and provide solid a background foundation for the heavier music found on the disc.

The production is well done, produced by none other than Oliver Phillips of Everon fame, known for their exquisite sounds in the Neo-prog world, but this recording is quite different from the Everon sound, coming in at quite the heavy, sometimes too clean / sharp sound, but when it comes to hear some quiet acoustic guitars and soft keyboard passages, this sound shines and emphasizes. The vocals are recorded well up front in the mix, and you can hear just about every single word that Stefan sings. The drums are very cleanly recorded, maybe too clean at times, but overall there is hardly any room for complaining - this is quality recording and performance at its best.

If you are looking for one of those discs that truly represent prog metal in it's finest qualities, look no further than Wolverine, who have managed to bridge the elements of all that is great in progressive metal music, plus go that extra step to bring something even more different than the norm. Check this band out at all costs.

Reissued/remastered in 2005 by Earache with a variant track breakdown and a bonus track "Again."


Tracklisting:
End (0:45) / My Room (8:04) / His Cold Touch (Part 1) (9:43) / His Cold Touch (Part 2) (1:52) / Leaving Yesterday (7:11) / Towards Loss (5:55) / The Storm Inside (7:56) / Coma (7:25) / Release (2:12) / Post Life (5:57)

Musicians:
Marcus Losbjer - drums, death vocals
Stefan Zell - bass, clean vocals
Mikael Zell - guitar
Andreas "Bagge" Baglien - keyboards, organ
Per Broddesson - guitar

Guests:
Oliver Philipps - additional vocals
Jamina Jansson - vocals (5)

Discography:
Fervent Dream (1999)
The Window Purpose (2001)
Cold Light Of Monday (2003)
Still (2006)

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin SE

Added: October 13th 2002
Reviewer: Larry "LarryD" Daglieri

Artist website: www.wolverine-overdose.com
Hits: 2071
Language: english

  

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