THE BEAST

Darewolf - Darewolf - Reviewed By jennytate ! Check it out here at this link: https://jennytate.wordpress.com/2023/06/04/darewolf-darewolf/

Portugal’s power metallers, Darewolf bring you their self titled album, featuring traditional and modern sounds, with hard-hitting impact.

Gathering power, with each track, ‘Darewolf’ hooks you in, unforgettably.

Having formed back in 2012, they’ve had plenty time to hone their signature catch.

This Is …. – Funeral bells intro, with a ritualistic spoken word chant, encompassing Darewolf’s very own signature motto. Great way to open, with cinematic leanings.

Darewolf – Continuing with the same funeral bell clangs, but then adding a fabulous, upbeat, lively combo of typically power metal sounds. Slight Enforcer-esque power screams add an extra touch. Showcasing real lyrical, melodic and compositional aptitude and still keeping it real and hook-strewn. Neatly positioned structural peaks, strong melodic and adept tension and release. Ending on a peak precision power scream, well worthy of ‘Heavy Metal Killers‘.

Savage Poetry – Big opening, dazzling production, with authentic classic vocals. Even hitting DIO-esque qualities, in places. Full band cohesion and chemistry, sporting a lot of impressive craftsmanship. Those vocals really do shine, brightly, aflame with passion. Great song structure, ending definitively.

Night Wish – Shrill, glassy keys tinkle into the intro, with intrigue and beauty. Then the heaviness descends, like a blanket of thunder. Groove-laden melodies, well-timed. So cohesive, again. Good barrelling drum rolls, bedding down that solid rhythm. Group anthemic harmonies take it into the next section. Unexpectedly higher bridging vocal pitches. Plenty of strength, conviction and sheer class. This melody just gets you. Keys returning, with a fragile arrangement, building greater power, as it continues on, into the 3/4 point, where riff solos take over, showcasing more of that effortless style. Strong vocal close, accompaniments matching its stride.

Wicked Beast – Slowing it down, with a solid steel string refrain. Poignant lyrics, plausibly vocalised. The wildcard, right here and it works. Remarkably well. So carefully and beautifully arranged. A more guitar-based structure. Building that bridge, in very Tenacious D-esque style. Truly impassioned performance. Touching, ballad-esque and yet still heaped high with grit. Ace build-up, to the finale, sustaining that heady blend of solemnity and strength. Really affecting.

Might – An Eastern enigma tinges this intro, before exploding, with metallic fire. Loving that riff build-up, 1/4 in. Very snazzy vocals, quite G’N’R’-esque, echoing their ‘UYI’ era. Such innate grasp of feeling, skill and authenticity, solidifying the contagion. Just a really exciting, high-class track. Hitting all the right notes and emphasis, in all the right places. You just couldn’t not be touched and hooked, by this. Those riffs are divine, stacking the rhythms high, climbing those towered ascents, with consummate ease. Melody sings, till the well-defined end.

Prime – Dark piano intro, steadily building up, into a Latino-esque riff section, then blowing it up, metal style. Great thrumming bass line, DIO-esque, in form, again. Gravel-filled vocals, screaming with truth and passion. Real flavour to this sound. Effective chorus lyrics. Grasping that hold and release, well. Neatly placed harmonies, towards the bridge. Everything in sync, once more; this time, intro’ing a folky strand, before the high-impact riffage overtakes, singing and screaming with melody, building a classic sensual element into the grooves, hitting a Celtic tone and taking it higher, speeding up, into a sexy metal pace. So much orgasmic sensuality built into those vocals. Great collective closing crescendo, hitting at full impact!

Overall – A perfect slab of high-grade, enlivening metal, orgasmic, to the last, ‘Darewolf’ hits the accelerator, hard and never takes its foot off the pedal. The showmanship, rhythmic grasp and powered grooves featured, throughout are a classic trio, cementing its memorability and huge contagion. A metallic metaphor, for ‘men with power, who know how to use it’, ‘Darewolf’ screams metal Valhalla.

10/10 ********** jennytate  

Release Date: Independently, September 2022

FFO: Nightwish, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold

Location: Portugal

Short Bio: From the snowy mountains of the northern border of Portugal and somewhere across the sacred city of Braga, the bending sonority of power metal, influenced by some heavy inspirations from the father's of the genre, Derewolf captivates your full attention with their music writing and construction of a journey, evey track more epic and headbangle than the previous one. 

Playing since 2012, Darewolf proves it has great technical proficiency and overall music knowledge, with the wit of the new age, inspired by the greats of the past.

These kids aren't to be taken lightly, despite the ravishing good looks, their music sure can hit you right in the groin.

Follow them on Spotify and add them to your playlists!

Support them on bandcamp!

Follow the band here at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/darewolftheband/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1pCExzOoTCEYaRMuhLwfjJ
https://darewolf.bandcamp.com/