Wolfpakk is a project spearheaded by Mad Max guitarist Michael Voss and ex-Crystal Ball singer Mark Sweeney. Joining them on every record is an ever rotating cast of heavy metal and hard rock superstars. Who appears on this album? The real question is, who doesn’t? Michael Sweet (Stryper), Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS), Vinnie Moore (UFO), Mikkey Dee (Motörhead), and Mats Levén (ex-Candlemass) are just some of the names who appear on Wolfpakk’s latest, Nature Strikes Back. Despite having such an array of talent, history has proven these all star outings to be hit or miss affairs. Nature falls somewhere down the middle.
The album kicks off with the title track which features Michael Sweet delivering an absolutely soaring vocal performance. It’s heavy, melodic, powerful, and my favorite track on the album. I find this ironic because I could never get into Stryper due to Sweet’s voice which I used to compare to nails on a blackboard. However, in recent years I’ve been warming up more to Sweet and Stryper. Songs like this encourage me to revisit Stryper’s back catalog and give a second chance.
The next few songs fall victim to the generic, euro power metal cliches I despise. Think Sabaton. Ugh. Thankfully, the album gets back on track for “Under Surveillance”. Fueled by double bass drumming and a majestic synth solo, it’s a great, fast melodic metal track. “Restore Your Soul” and “Lone Ranger” keep the train rolling, with the former being another highlight of the album. “Restore Your Soul” begins with the best riff on the album. We’re then given a duet of Sweeney and Oliver Fehr, the voice of Swiss AOR act Transit. The icing on the cake is a soulful solo from Vinnie Moore. While his pure shred days may be past him, Moore’s playing style since joining UFO in 2003 has shown great growth. “Restore” is a great example of this.
Unfortunately, my love affair with Nature ends here. From “One Day” to the closer, “Lovers Roulette”, I’m not convinced a handful of solid tracks is enough to make up for songwriting and stylistic traits which I never appreciated or found only slightly enjoyable. However, if you’re a diehard fan of European power metal, you’re bound to enjoy this album.
5 out of 10
Label: Massacre Records
Genre: Melodic Heavy Metal
For fans of: Pretty Maids, Helloween, Eclipse