Clad in their leather vestments, these five-piece German lads are fronted by vocalist Attila Dorn, Matthew and Charles Greywolf on guitars and bass, keyboardist Falk Maria Schlegel and drummer Roel Van Helden. “Wake Up the Wicked” brings the band again to highlight each track stuffed with heavy rocking anthems and bold twists of power metal. The opening track “Bless ’em With the Blade” conveys everything you would expect from the band, the thundering guitars, pounding drumming, and catchy melodies the vocals overflow with the fierce energy of the mad wolf.

The hooky choruses on “Sinners of the Seven Seas” give every minute of this track momentum; riffs are splendidly pompous and symphonic soundscapes poised in the background swell with the bombastic pace. Attila Dorn’s anthemic vocals are as vibrant as they have always been and this is what makes Powerwolf unique; the fantastic blend of the guitars and keyboards creates this chilling atmosphere on “Kyrie Klitorem” which is another charming song full of memorable melodies and energetic vibes. The church organ is given enough space to shine with the chiming bells and riffs having enough twists of dark melody, Powerwolf infuses tons of riffs and theatrical choruses embellished with synth.

The symphonies are played in mid-tempo paces, and they’re brilliantly executed it’s hard to single out highlights on the album, from the haunting opening of “Heretic Hunters” clearly defines the folky arias of Powerwolf which were showcased on the previous album. The drums are played heavily; though the song feels like a mix of old hymns and strong choruses features some catchy and floating melodic lines over the beating drums.

“1589” is an example of the band being in its prime and level of devotion to its craft, the track is not unique or epic but contains all the pounding riffs, operatic vocals, galloping riffs, and tempo changes that would please your ears. Powerwolf knows how to grab the listener with their haunting melodies; while “Viva Vulgata”  extensively uses synth, the quintet has become adept at making catchy and bombastic songs.

This track is full of lush symphonies and hooky riffs to rhythm lines and the gloomy atmosphere seems to work in tandem with the heavy electrifying riffs, the rumbling guitars on “Wake Up the Wicked” give way to the chugging riffs, the heaviness ebb and flow dynamically.

“Thunderpriest” offers glorious power metal anthems and has plenty of good moments here and there, it feels like the quintet is emphasizing galloping up-tempo paces while keeping their sonic formula on a repetitive loop. Without having any loose ends Powerwolf’s new album doesn’t disappoint, but there are certain elements on a few tracks like “Joan Arc” and the album’s title track have the same tiresome vibes that we have heard countless and countless times before, the album has the same issues with “The Call of The Wild” album and this because some of the songs sound the same.

The German lads have reformed and redefined their style over the years, and their newest album is no different. “We Don’t Wanna Be No Saints” features a children’s choir in the opening moments, it’s quite amusing how Powerwolf can pull gimmicks and bring something new to fans on each studio album.

The closing track “Vargamor” begins with a tolling bell, its trademark sound is tailored to suit the band’s music perfectly as the riffs majestically explode with the dramatic vocals and the swelling crescendo, Attila churns out some engaging operatic performance blending something epic and dark.

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