Satanath Records - Reviews: 081GD

Reviews: 081GD

The evocation of mood and the inspiration of imagination are important ingredients in the darker veins of heavy metal. The international band Wolfdom obviously know that. They set about doing it before you hear a single note, through the band name they chose, through the name of their debut album — Moonlight Misanthropy — and through the record’s macabre cover art. It all combines to invoke a midnight atmosphere of supernatural horror and hostility to humankind.

But what of the music they’ve made? GrimmDistribution, the label that will release the album on January 23rd, discloses that Wolfdom operated under the influence of Darkthrone (especially the albums F.O.A.D. and Cult Is Alive), as well as Bewitcher and Midnight, reveling in “the glorification of Satan through the good old heavy metal”, with Satan representing for them a “raised banner of freedom, a creative realization of oneself in spite of the propagated propaganda of politicians and religions”.

But let’s see for ourselves, shall we?

What we have for you now is the premiere of the new album’s title track. Speaking of good old heavy metal, the song’s ringing opening tones make a grand (and infernal) entrance, and the slashing chords and scorching screams that follow channel both menace and malignancy. With the drummer shifting from rocking grooves to a pummeling gallop, the riffing grows more super-heated and savage and the throat-ruining vocals even more brazenly unhinged.

The band’s talent for interweaving black metal terror and anthemic heavy metal continues to emerge as the song alternately incinerates and stalks. Wolfdom manage to punch the guts, to swagger like a feral beast, to attack with unbridled viciousness, and to send their music into high-flown realms of devilish glory.

GrimmDistribution will release Moonlight Misanthropy as a digital download, and it’s available for pre-order now.

We’re also including a stream of the album’s first single, “Infernal Shadows Of Thousand Thorned Wings“, which is a free download at Bandcamp. Prepare for a hellish trip that’s even more menacing and steeped in moods of occult horror than the title song, but also proves to be an evil spell that easily gets stuck in the head, capped by a blazing nightmarish finale.

https://www.nocleansinging.com/2022/12/19/an-ncs-premiere-wolfdom-moonlight-misanthropy

Wolfdom is a international Black Heavy Metal band. January 23rd, 2023, saw the band releasing their debut studio album, Moonlight Misanthropy, that would gratify fans of Midnight and Bewitcher. The album was released through GrimmDistribution from Ukraine.

Starting the review with THE FIRST SIN for discussion, we’ll first discuss the STRINGS/KEYS section, consisting of consistent and haunting sound achieved through strummed chords and a sawtooth groove edge

THE SECOND SIN for discussion is the VOCALS, which are furious battery vocals to screams, even cold, abrasive, shouty, and angry.

THE THIRD SIN for discussion is the DRUMS, which incorporates a backdrop of variety of fills, strikes, and patterns.

FOURTH SIN is the OVERALL DISCUSSION for the album: As soon as the listener hits that play button, one is welcomed to the opening piece, “Fractal Dawn of Darkness,” which welcomes to a short and strange soundscape before breaking off with heavy metal instruments and blackened vocals.

As the listener progress further into your musical journey, with the second piece, “Black Flame of Hatred”, and the remaining six tracks, where “Wolfdom” are characterised as black heavy metal, pretty much nail their sound and are recommended for fans of Midnight and Bewitcher from the United States and (maybe) early Darkthrone from the cold lands of Norway.

The music production is strikingly evocative, with an almost eerie quality that transports the listener to a mysterious and unknown place. Despite its raw and unpolished feel, the sound quality is perfect, allowing every instrument to shine through with crystal clarity.

The instrumentation is incredibly diverse, featuring many tempos, tones, atmospheres, and moods. The music has been crafted with a cold, devilish touch that adds darkness and intensity to each note.

The guitar work features a consistent and haunting sound achieved through strummed chords and a sawtooth groove edge. The result is a mesmerising and unsettling sound, drawing the listener deeper into the music. The drum work is equally impressive, with a rhythm and roll style that incorporates a variety of fills, strikes, and patterns. The drums create a powerful and dynamic backdrop for the other instruments, driving the music forward with relentless energy and passion.

The vocal styles consist of furious battery vocals that bring the intensity to an all-time high or screams that add an extra layer of emotion to the music. In addition, the band also incorporates cold, abrasive vocals that can be used to create a sense of detachment or distance, as well as shouty and angry vocals that express intense frustration or anger. With such a diverse range of vocal styles, Moonlight Misanthropy can create a unique and dynamic musical experience that will captivate listeners.

The music in “Wolfdom” also (somewhat) touches elements of thrash metal, traditional/raw black metal, punk rock overtone, and doomy breaks. Furthermore, “Wolfdom” has a distinct black n’ roll vibe (buried within the music) that can be compared to the sound of “Now, Diabolical” by Satyricon, Abbath‘s solo project “I,” and the band “Demonaz.” However, the listener’s experience may vary, depending on their preferences and music tastes. Regardless, “Wolfdom” is a unique and exciting musical journey worth exploring for any black/heavy metal lover.

FIFTH SIN, the MEMORABILIA. “Moonlight Misanthropy” is a powerful and unyielding release, with a fruit of art composition and devilmanship buried within the musical spectrum, characterised by its bleak and icy atmosphere and its relentless heavy, groove, and blackened sound, that delivers a piercing, frostbitten impact on the listener.

SIXTH SIN, the ARTWORK captivates with its simplicity and darkness, resembling the iconic Nosferatu while perfectly complementing the music. Together, they create a powerful and inspiring experience that transcends the boundaries of art and music.

Finally, the review will close with the last sin, the SEVENTH SIN, the DISRELISH. With nothing to disrelish within the musical world of “Wolfdom,” this concludes the review.

https://athenaeumofsin.com/wolfdom-moonlight-misanthropy-review

Our friends at Satanath send us so much stuff, and like so much of the music that lands in our mailbox it gets buried and we don’t get the time to tell you all about it. I aim to address this over the next few reviews! First up is Wolfdom, whose Moonlight Misanthropy was released twelve whole months ago through GrimmDistribution in Ukraine.

Tagged as “black heavy”, this pretty much nails their sound which is recommended for fans of Midnight, Bewitcher or Darkthrone. For those who prefer classic heavy metal, add some harsh vocals and a bit of atmosphere and this is what you can expect. The guitars are haunting , yet carry that sawtooth edge that we’d often associate with thrash… but without the speed. You can still really bang your head to it, and at a faster pace than you’d get with doomier sub-genres. In fact, this would work with clean vocals – just not as well.

“Fractal Dawn of Endless Darkess” sets things up well. It chugs nicely and, dare I say it, almost grooves in places. The last 60 seconds or so are something you could almost dance to. “Black Flame of Hatred” is certainly a bit more in your face, and carries more of a punk overtone. Abrasive, shouty, and angry as the name would suggest. The music is more in the traditional black metal vein with the underlying dischord carrying the strummed chords.

Slowing things down a little, “The Throne of Winter Forest” is more ploddy in the Black Sabbath kind of way. Again, the influence of the traditional metal is strong and this theme carries on throughout the second half of the album. Angsty cries in “A Soul Enslaved by Fear and Despair”, the title track’s furious battery and screams, “Infernal Shadows…” sounding like a battle anthem, “Northern Wisdom”‘s very doomy breaks, and “Eternal Night Mystery” just running hell for leather towards the finish line.

While the album gets more “black” as it progresses, it’s a decent stepping stone for some who may think that particular genre is a little extreme for them.

https://www.moshville.co.uk/reviews/album-review/2024/01/album-review-wolfdom-moonlight-misanthropy/