The Finnish melodeathers WOLFHEART have proven to be extremely productive in their ten-year band history; “Draconian Darkness” is their seventh album since their debut. Flashback: Band leader and multitasker Tuomas Saukkonen had put all his other projects on hold when WOLFHEART was founded in 2013. The revival of DAWN OF SOLACE in 2019 and BEFORE THE DAWN in 2021 has not slowed WOLFHEART down, as their ongoing output proves. Stylistically, the band has made some changes in recent years. The initially surprising use of strings has now become firmly established. The same applies to the supporting clean vocals. Both elements can be found on “Draconian Darkness”, one of them in a new scope.
Are WOLFHEART now symphonic death?
Right from the start, “Ancient Cold” relies on an opulent orchestral structure. The arrangements accompany the instruments that start playing and are reminiscent of symphonic death. This impression comes up repeatedly throughout the album. Even after many listens, however, the question remains whether the band wants to be labeled with this new genre. There won't be an answer to that at this point, but the orchestral arrangements cannot be described as accessories or merely a supporting element.
The band relies on continuity for the rest of the instrumentation. All pieces have the typical WOLFHEART sound. The guitars are tuned low and offer all speeds from mid-tempo to chainsaw. Well-dosed blast beats provide the obligatory thrashing factor. Campfire romance is not neglected either. “Burning Sky” even offers the whole palette: an acoustic intro, sublime orchestral sound and high-speed riffing. The track shares the position of highlights on “Draconian Darkness” with the single “Grave”.
“Draconian Darkness” has few ups and downs
The band has never been one for a lot of variety, which is why not many songs have been mentioned by name here. But there is no doubt that WOLFHEART know what they are doing. There were no problems on this album. In fact, the quality of the songs is consistently high, with a few highs and lows. The clean vocals are sometimes thin, and the band could be accused of relying a little too much on the orchestral arrangements. “Draconian Darkness” also doesn't quite measure up to the albums from the first half of the discography – up to and including “Constellation Of The Black Light”. But the band's “cold flame” is definitely still burning.
