Powerwolf
Bible Of The Devil

The toy is broken. And we didn't even have to wait that long.

Just in their third release, the Teutonic/Romanian band Powerwolf brings forth this "Bible Of The Devil" which, in simple terms, is a spit image of its predecessor, the massive "Lupus Dei," an album that made me dream, a record that made me hope for great things concerning the future of the band.

Instead, year of our Lord 2009, "Bible Of The Devil" proves to be a colossal flop.

Horrible album? No, worse. 

And so, what could be worse than a horrible album?

Simple: a self-recycled album, with songs that practically plunder their lucky predecessor, replicating all the stylistic elements, the choirs, the orchestrations, the epicness, the riffs, the melodies, the dark atmospheres, and the lyrics (always simply idiotic and mindless, all centered on vampires and satanism).

But what is disgusting is that even the tracklist order is respected! Absurd!

Besides the classic opener in a pompous-epic-symphonic style ("Opening: Prelude To Purgatory"), the songs you expect from Powerwolf follow freely. For instance, "Raise Your Fist, Evangelist" is epic, heavy, paced, and with orchestrations that would like to emulate bands like Manowar and the like (and, in simple words, a perfect opener for a Powerwolf album, without a hint of innovation), the fourth track, "Panic In The Pentagram" is no more than the "Saturday Satan" of the album, the song, so to speak, most indebted to Iron Maiden, the more speedy-power one, with a melodic and catchy refrain, with great guitar solos and stadium choirs "Oooooooh!!!!!"... how boring! Let us draw a veil, instead, on "St. Satan", with its ridiculous title and blatantly idiotic and childish lyrics.

Originality and innovation, as you have understood, are equal to absolute zero.

The only song I feel like saving from the massacre is "Seven Deadly Saints", dynamic, epic, and melodic just right. A song that comforts and shines amid so much disappointment (in fact, already the following "Werewolves Of Armenia" makes you regret that you jumped, as you're attacked by the urge to grab the album and take bites out of it!). 

Nothing to object, instead, regarding the work of the band, starting with the keyboardist Falk Maria Schlege, ending with the singer Attila Dorn, truly in great shape and in full grace.

In conclusion: this album gave me nothing, on an emotional level, except for a big disappointment. If you loved "Lupus Dei" and became diehard fans of this newly born band, then, probably, you'll rave for this "Bible Of The Devil," an album that fully replicates all the darkness of "Lupus Dei" perhaps, in many parts, even surpassing it (the same applies to the orchestrations which, in my view, while boring, are perfect).

It's up to you to decide whether it's worth it or not.