Review WOLFHEART “Draconian Darkness”

“Draconian Darkness” is the seventh studio album by Finnish metal powerhouse Wolfheart. The quartet from Lahti, Finland debuted in 2013 with “Winterborn” and now, eleven years later, the latest release “Draconian Darkness” will hit the shelves.

Seven albums in a little more than a decade shows a band that has a productive creative flow and even the pandemic couldn’t stop the band’s release rhythm, which generally means a new album every two years.

The new longplayer contains nine songs and it is the typical melodic death metal foundation that serves as a very solid base for the new material. The opener “Ancient Cold” reflects this in a good way and besides the genre-typical growls the guys also use some clean vocals, which gives the song a bit more variation.

“Evenfall” is the next song on “Draconian Darkness” and it shows the sinister grin of death metal as well as it comes with some melodic and atmospheric elements. This mixture works very well and the song features more than just high speed.

“Throne of Bones” belongs to the same category. It is the longest track on the album and it is a rather cinematic one. There is a basic vibe that is rather diabolical, while frantic moments interact with atmospheric elements, moments that could be part of a movie soundtrack. This mix may not be new, but it is perfectly executed by the four Finns.

Simpler and catchy is the stomper “Death Leads the Way”, while “Grave” with its symphonic elements is a rather brutal song that follows a mournful opening.

It’s an acoustic guitar that starts “The Gale”, which is the last song on the album. Blazing death metal and acoustic melancholy are both pillars of this song that shows the range of music Wolfheart has in their portfolio.

“Draconian Darkness” is an album that follows the band’s musical direction. What comes out of the speakers sounds powerful with hooks that make it easy to connect to these nine songs. Listening to Wolfheart’s seventh longplayer is an entertaining experience, and although the ideas on the album aren’t revolutionary, it’s the way the band presents their songs that is captivating and grabs the listener’s attention.