Prog metal bands are always cooking, even when you think they might be done. Wolverine is back after several years of relative silence, and I’m excited they are still alive. The album is called Anomalies and it released on February 6th.
The band hails from Sweden and has been around for over 25 years now. I’ve been a Wolverine fan since 2011’s excellent Communication Lost. Their albums tend to take 5-10 years to appear, though. My personal favorite is 2016’s terrific Machina Viva, and while that was their most recent album, they did produce an audio-visual experience in 2020 called A Darkened Sun that’s really good, too (I only recently realized the band doesn’t consider it an official album). The current lineup includes Per Henriksson on keys, Thomas Jansson on bass, Marcus Losbjer on drums, Jonas Jonsson on guitars, and Stefan Zell on vocals.
The band has always been labeled as progressive metal, but that’s a bit deceiving. Especially on newer releases, they are fairly reserved and nuanced, adding electronic accents and heavy keyboard atmospheres more than riffs. This album has some heavier moments and excellent spacey guitar work, but the overall sound focuses more on keys and Stefan’s emotive vocals.
I’ll be honest: on first listen, the album sounds much the same all the way through. Subsequent listens are where it comes to life. Stefan really does bring the emotion at times, so the record ends up feeling poignant and passionate even if it has a low energy vibe overall.
For me, the second half is head and shoulders above the first half, and that’s really only because of the first two songs. The opener “A Sudden Demise” is solid, though I think it is the low point of the album—something about the elongated chorus doesn’t connect with me. “My Solitary Foe” is a little better with some fiery vocal passages and great keys, but the album doesn’t really hit its stride until “Circuits”; this piece is a spunky little electronic tune that feels colorful and fresh. I absolutely adore it in a couplet with “Nightfall”, an atmospheric, rhythmic song with some punchy, cosmic guitar work. I love them both.
The second half has one great tune after another. “The World and All Its Dazzling Lights” is an evocative piece that opines the over-stimulated world. I like its emotional delivery. “Automaton” is something of a ballad with electronic accents. It’s all about piano and vocals and haze.
“A Perfect Alignment” comes next and is fantastic. I love the cinematic keys, the electronic beat that transitions into drums, and the spiraling guitar work. “Losing Game” is just as good, though, with its excellent keyboard melody and head-bobbing groove; I really like how Stefan sings this one, full of catchy angst. The closer “Scarlet Tide” is a slowburn that is truly beautiful. I love the electronic soundscape as it transitions into riffs then into a soaring guitar solo which gives the end of the album a sense of finality.
Wolverine take their time, but the results are always worth the wait. Anomalies is a subtle, detailed album that might take a few listens, but it’s also beautiful, emotionally intelligent, and layered. Prog metal fans should give it a try.
______________
Find Wolverine online:
______________
______________
The PROG Mind 