Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
Tamworth terrors Wolfsbane hit hard when they first launched themselves onto the world in 1984, the quartet taking off like a rocket.
With their debut album ‘Live Fast, Die Fast’ produced by Rick Rubin on the Def American label, they went on to tour the world with some of the biggest names in rock and metal, always giving the headliners like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper a run for their money. Dropped by the label, a third album came out but then Blaze Bailey was snapped up by Maiden as Bruce Dickinson’s replacement in 1994 and the band went their separate ways.
Fast forward twenty-three years and the bonds of friendship brought the four back together once again, sporadic dates following before a full reunion was announced in 2010.
Busy with their solo projects too, the band members have played numerous tours to full houses, along with releasing another three studio albums, including this latest re-recording of their incendiary first. Older, arguably wiser and definitely crazier, ‘Live Faster…’ is a fire breathing testament to their incendiary skills, the hunger there matched with something honed through both time and experience.
Straight out of the gate, the manically fast ‘Man Hunt’ takes no prisoners, Bailey’s voice as punchy as ever while Jase Edwards’ razor sharp riffs and the wrecking ball rhythm section of Jeff Hateley and Steve Danger threaten to flatten any nearby buildings. Eschewing the temptation to endlessly repeating this, the band’s performances and songwriting draw in a number of other influences and the AC/DC style boogie bruiser ‘Shakin” and a heavy Black Sabbath meets Rainbow melodic sensibility of ‘Killing Machine’ give early hints to their range.
Time really has been kind to these numbers and the fresh light through old windows approach really benefits every track, the nuances in both the singing and playing really coming to the fore. The band have never sounded better and this is a more than worthy follow-up to the sterling ‘Genius’ album of three years ago. Practically humming with vibrant life, where else could you hear what sounds like Van Halen jamming with Motörhead on the grinding glam of ‘Money to Burn’ or the punk metal terrace chant of ‘All or Nothing’?
Hard as nails biker rocker ‘Greasy’ does exactly what it says on the tin and ‘I Like it Hot’ was surely blueprint for Airbourne that matches their love for the Young brother’s outfit. Ballad with balls ‘Tears from a Fool’ and the spectacularly breathless closer ‘Pretty Baby’ wraps things up in fine style, the whole a validation of their position as one of the best and loudest, yet criminally underrated, bands to come out there. There’s the hope that this second bite of this particular cherry will elevate the band once more to where they truly belong.
Still packing gigs with hordes of fanatical supporters, it seems like it’s never too late to shine and few blaze brighter than Bailey and his band of brothers. Wolfsbane are an unstoppable force and long may they continue to fly the flag for teeth-rattling rock ‘n’ roll.
To order Live Faster on CD go to: https://www.wolfsbaneband.com/webshop/
Stream Live Faster here:https://linktr.ee/wolfsbanehms and the album will be released on vinyl later this year.
