Wolfpakk –Rise Of The Animal

If you’re a hard rock purist or have any sort of affinity for unadulterated rock and roll you will want to find out what the Wolfpakk have been up to of late. This collective of all-star rock veterans has been on the prowl since 2011, looking for prey just like you. A few days ago they released their third album, Rise Of The Animal which, having stewed over it for the better part of a month, I can describe as a glorious awakening. Stick around if you want to find out where that came from.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to get acquainted with the bits and pieces that make up the Pakk. The heart of the group is made up of Mark Sweeney and Michael Voss, musicians who can already look back on glittering careers as it were. Sweeney, who has been on the scene since his teens, is an accomplished, formally trained vocalist. He enjoyed years of face time with renowned trainers (including Swiss maestro Andy Portmann) before setting off to find his own voice. Besides making a name for himself with Crystal Ball, Sweeney has released a number of solid solo projects and produced work for other artists.

The other alpha wolf, Voss is a writer par-excellence, something he proved on a number of Michael Schenker projects. In addition to his celebrated penmanship, he has enriched such projects as Temple of Rock with his magnificent vocal range. By the way, whether or not you’re a traditional rock aficionado, you need Temple of Rock in your life.

When these two giants of the golden era of rock don their wolves’ clothing and join forces, it’s not en epic, it’s a tectonic event. This is because the finest rock and metal talent on the planet tends to gravitate towards them whenever this happens. And it’s no different for this year’s release. In the vocal department the Wolfpakk got help from Michael Kiske who once was a part of the renowned Hamburg power metal outfit Helloween. Marc Storace of Swiss hard rock band lent his raspy pipes to ‘Sock It To Me’, one of Rise Of The Animal’s standout songs. Chris Slade, formerly of AC/DC, also joins the Pakk on this rock masterpiece. You are bound to find one or two other familiar names as you leaf through the liner notes.

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Going back to ‘Sock It To Me’, this meticulously executed come-on ditty buoyed by lusty backing vocals brims is truly a fun listen. Amid the classy guitarwork Storace makes his needs plain to the object of his desire. Laced with not-so-subtle hints: “Sock it to me, your slave I’m gonna be”, it’s clear it’s not going to be sex as usual. From the bedroom the Wolfpakk makes a detour into the land of emotional baggage, addressing overwhelming regret in ‘Monkey On Your Back’. Encouraging listeners to “shake it off”. They then canter up to higher ground on ‘Highlands’. This breathless number features a delectable instrumental break where the drummer veers into a parade-like rhythm and a set of bagpipes is picked up and blown. Though Rise Of The Animal is as traditional a hard rock album as you’ll find, it does ‘pakk’ a bunch of neat surprises.

The album ends on a classical note with the choral ‘Universe’. The mix of Michaela Schober’s dainty soprano, the golden harmonies of the choir and lush strings fit with the galactic theme of the song.

Can’t wait for when the Wolfpakk rises again!

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