Wolfmother
Wolfmother

THE REVIEW

Rock is dead. No, rock has just been resurrected, and it's resurrected magnificently.

It took thirty years, but finally the masterpiece from Wolfmother has arrived. Wolfmother is an Australian band, their debut (a self-titled EP) dates back to 2004; since then, they’ve already become famous in their homeland. In 2005, in October to be precise, here comes the eagerly awaited self-titled album. After a few months, Wolfmother grows in celebrity, and now we Italians can also purchase their record.

The European version contains 13 tracks, one more than the original Aussie version (which also had a different order). The start is strong, Andrew Stockdale's (vocals/guitar) scream introduces the rest of the band: Chris Ross (bass and keyboard) and Myles Heskett (percussion) are two great musicians and keep up well with the imperious frontman. The scream introduces Dimension, a song soaked in Hard-rock, the real one, like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, to be clear. The second song, White Unicorn, starts calmer, more Zeppelin-like, if possible, only to grow with strength and power in blending Page’s group style with Black Sabbath's. The sound's power is certainly more Sabbathy than Zeppeliny; on the other hand, Stockdale prefers the Gibson "Diavoletto," equipped with so much powerful Overdrive.
His guitar is never banal, the songs are rich in rhythm changes (perfectly interpreted and sometimes suggested by Heskett) and are never banal or simplistic, as often happens in recent years. The third track on the record is Woman, the most Sabbath-like: perhaps it's the most immediate single, but definitely also magnificent. Woman features psychedelia: the central part of the song bridges between the two verses: it's a genuine rhythmic crescendo, with keyboards setting the pace.

Much more Zeppelin-like is Where Eagles Have Been, which starts quietly, with an acoustic intro, almost as if wanting to recall the English masters (I'm thinking of Stairway to Heaven or Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, for example). But that's just the beginning: the song explodes with Stockdale's excellent riff, but it quickly gives space to another calm return. It doesn't last long. The song's central part is another crescendo leading to an almost lysergic section (Doors!) played by the keyboards, which in turn introduces Stockdale's solo. Not a technically original solo, but a great simple melodic solo. The song fades with a return to the acoustic guitar. Apple Tree is very cheerful; it even seems to wink at the rhythms of a "quiet" punk rock; but it's just an impression: the tones return darker and heavier as the song progresses, with the percussion dominating. The song alternates phases of hard-rock heaviness with rock explosions directed by Stockdale's clean devil [Diavoletto] and culminates in a nervous solo (where Wah is also used).

It's time for Joker & the Thief, perhaps the best hit by Stockdale, starting with the Deep Purple-ish riff that really stands out and recurs at irregular intervals (with psych nuances) throughout the track. Stockdale's vocal cords vibrate excellently in harmony with his guitar, thus crafting yet another great track. We're halfway through the album. Just these tracks would suffice to say we've listened to a great record.
Stockdale's voice (another mix between Page and Osbourne) rides the rough waves of Collapse, perhaps the hardest track on the album. The song seems predictable, but then Wolfmother knows how to surprise us with a beautiful rhythm change after the middle, serving as an outro. The start of Mind's Eye is like a sad ballad perfect for listening to in a car, when you're driving alone on a sad night. The progressive keyboards of Ross dominate the track, sporadically recalling King Crimson. But here's another twist: the rhythm almost turns into that of a stadium organ, pierced by Stockdale's chords, introducing us to the end of the piece.

The aforementioned vocal and guitar cords of Stockdale dominate in Pyramid, another track clearly winking at the classics of the '70s, without ever being excessively emulative. Withcraft almost seems a track from Frank Zappa's 'Hot Rats', sounding a bit like the Hard-rock equivalent of "Peaches En Regalia". Confirming this resemblance is the song's central section, enriched by an original interlude played by wind instruments, which then returns in the song's finale. Tales has the taste of a song already heard, probably because its structure is not dissimilar to that of previous tracks, but once again Wolfmother does not fall into banality. It's a more sugary, more sweet piece. The penultimate track is Love Train, not included in the Australian version of the album. It has a nice impact: it seems different from the previous ones; Stockdale's singing is very Plant-like, the track generally much more Zeppelinian than the rest of the album. The solo winks at progressive, but without exaggerating: the virtue, which Wolfmother shows they possess, lies in the middle. Here's the last track: Vagabond. What is this stuff? It almost sounds like a folk song! Well, yes, it really does. Indeed, here something changes... but what are they doing, are they going crazy? What is this schizophrenic crescendo? Wow.

Well, what more to add? This album is huge. Almost on the level of the great masterpieces of the bands it draws inspiration from: it's only my excessive passion for old rock that prevents me from removing the "almost." It's an almost perfect debut album, which makes us truly hopeful for this trio of genius old-fashioned Australians' future works.

RATING 9/10

The Collector (http://esattore.altervista.org/)