On the flip side, the status quo can be pretty dope! Why go to the effort of reinventing yourself? Who the hell are you trying to impress?? It’s sooooo much easier to just kick back, relax, and enjoy the comforts of familiar and routine, like slipping in to a well-worn pair of slippers at the end of the day. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… right? Right.

What has made recent work from Finland’s sons of might and morose, Wolfheart so compelling has been their ability to strike a really tricky balance of both embracing some pretty significant changes, while still remaining steadfastly true to a sound they’ve been riding for nearly a decade now (something they’ve done much to their own detriment for stretches of their career, if I’m honest). 2020’s Wolves of Karellia really marked a reinvigoration for the band, who had previously slogged through two releases in 2017’s Tyhjyysiivgglehhhhaahhyyyynyyy (I may have added a few extra keyboard smashes there I apologize) and the way-too-hot-on-its-heels Constellations of the Black Light which, aside from a couple bright spots (“Boneyard,” “Valkyrie”), felt to me like the less-interesting dregs of creative juice left over from the successes of Shadow World and debut Winterborn. It was linear proof that creativity requires space to breathe and grow, and that “more” doesn’t always mean “better.” Wolves… suggested that the band (namely, mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen) had taken enough time away to maybe just stop thinking about Wolfheart a lil bit, and came back with a renewed sense of excitement and vigor for the project. These weren’t wholesale changes here, just a noticeable uptick in energy and vibrance that felt severely lacking.

Then Kings of the North came, armed with a new guitarist in Vagelis Karzis (Rotting Christ session collaborator), who also brought an even more significant addition – a set of clean vocals that suddenly gave Wolfheart a whole new dimension and depth, allowing the band to play more with song structure and progression than they ever had, serving as a perfect balance to Saukkonen’s signature brand of attack-heavy, muscular melodeath. The impact was immediate and profound, potentially setting the tone for a whole new era of Wolfheart that, to these ears, made them the new kings of Finnish Melodeath.

Of course, this sets absolutely Ludicrous levels of expectations where now any lack of continued innovation and forward-thinking will be met with complete and utter disappointment. Look, I don’t make the rules, I’m just slave to them same as you and everyone else, so keep that in mind as I try to help you understand how Draconian Darkness in truth really is a freaking awesome record, even though it took me longer than expected to get there.

In the simplest terms, the biggest difference between King of the North and Draconian Darkness is the sense of occasion that the predecessor created, as if Wolfheart set out to let listeners know right away that King… was was going to be unlike any listening experience fans had heard from the band before. They came right out the gate with the epic “Skyforger” that introduced the world to Wolfheart with clean vocals, and followed it up immediately with a guest appearance by Killswitch Engage‘s Jesse David Leach on “Ancestor,” easily the band’s most widely-appealing track to date (don’t dare take that as an insult, it’s a banger).

By contrast, Draconian Darkness feels more like a band settling into a really good rhythm, making minor tweaks and adjustments to perfect their sound. Nothing is necessarily going to come right out and make you take instant notice, and the immediate impact is less profound. That said,  there’s a sense of confidence that bursts through the speakers with the huge, honkin’ chorus of opener “Ancient Cold” that comes from a band comfortable with the formula they’re working with, getting to the point without unnecessary fluff or delay. To that end, we see Wolfheart trend further away from the more self-indulgent track times of prior records, hitting listeners with a much more concise, focused delivery that for the first time doesn’t see a single track break the 6 minute mark (in fact, only two break the 5 minute barrier). That more focused effort manifests further on second track “Evenfall,” which whittles away to find those more nuanced perfections even more, showing you can still deliver a big, epic chorus without necessarily having to deploy clean vocals, showcasing the band’s ability to stay flexible with their delivery while still achieving similar results.

While we’re talking about those cleans though, I think it’s worth noting that while the band has certainly embraced them as an effective part of their repertoire, Wolfheart hasn’t fallen into the trap of overuse. They’re an element the band uses to mark emotional high and low points, such as with the majestic as fuck “Scion of The Flame” that really achieves both sides of that particular coin, pairing the cleans with the band’s increased use of orchestral elements to achieve huge, cinematic passages worthy of a $75 movie ticket (or whatever the hell ludicrous amount it costs to go to a theater these days). Saukkonen has never been shy with his use of piano and other instrumentals to create atmosphere and mood, but the elevated strings help to balance his and Karzis’ muscular riffing, each element helping to take the other to a higher level than they would left on their own. Closer “The Gale” is another shining example of the balance Wolfheart has been able to achieve, combining waves of aggressive riffs with emotive swells of orchestrations and acoustic passages that all come together to create an all-encompassing and complex track that hits all the right notes.

But that Saukkonen and Karzis would make for the scariest linebacker duo in the NFL if they were to step on a field, is indicative to what has always set Wolfheart apart from their peers, and it’s the strong-man, mammoth riffs they’re capable of tearing out, particularly when they break out the furious tremolo picking of “Burning Sky” and “Grave” that sound like being left in the wilderness in the middle of a raging storm. But even those moments of intensity are still delivered with incredible complexity, layered with brilliant, contrasting melodies (particularly on “Burning Sky”) that are full of bravado and vigor, enough to make you consider abandoning modern life to join a pack of wolves and challenge the Alpha dog with your bare hands for leadership. You’ll certainly be killed, BUT WHAT A WAY TO GO OUT. On the flip side is Saukkonen’s ability to chug with the best of them, with highlights like “Throne of Bones” bringing formidable levels of heft to the table. And credit to the footwork of drummer Joonas Kauppinen, who delivers a Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) level performance keeping his double bass on time with the fretwork. Just stellar performances all around from a group of musicians at the top of their game.

So like, yeah, I just spent the last three paragraphs being pretty dang generous with compliments for Draconian Darkness so, it’s probably fair to ask yourself why I mentioned it took me a while really find my appreciation for its greatness. The thing is, Wolfheart’s last two albums were both just such fresh breaths of air that it was nearly impossible not to find instant gratification and get wrapped up in their charms from first listen.

Having that in mind, Draconian Darkness just doesn’t have that immediate impact. You might even come away from the first couple of listens thinking “okay, they just did King of the North again” and, in some ways, they sorta did. But what’s wrong with that? Like countrymates Amorphis have been doing for a long time now, this album is confirmation that Wolfheart may have found a formula that could carry them on a similar run of consistency and success for years to come, and we should be so fortunate to keep getting albums like this. I know I’m not gonna be the guy to be ungrateful about it.

When I reviewed Wolfheart‘s Wolves of Karelia two years ago, I approached it thinking, frankly, that the band, and particularly mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen, was pretty much cooked. That his furious work ethic and insane rate of creative output had finally caught up with him and his particular brand of metal. But before that released, he took a step back from Wolfheart to revive one of his oldest projects, Dawn of Solace, and I still believe whole-heartedly that the re-focus was exactly what the doctor ordered, giving him a refreshed perspective and redirecting his creative process. As a result, Wolves of Karelia was a revelation. Not a “return to form” of their first two incredible albums, but a whole new beast entirely – one with renewed focus and ferocity. It was one of my favorite albums of 2020, and my favorite album of their career.

Well if Wolves of Karelia showed a band re-sharpening their fangs and getting back into the hunt, King of the North is a band finally utilizing the full strengths of the entire pack to become the apex predators they always had the potential to be. It’s Wolfheart‘s greatest, most complete effort yet.

Signs that this album may be ushering in a sort of new era for the band started when they released their first single, “Ancestor,” with a guest appearance from Killswitch Engage‘s Jesse David Leach. While the song began with typical Wolfheart ferocity and fire, the chorus gave way to a gorgeous melody featuring Jesse’s fantastic clean vocals. The result was utterly intoxicating for me, with the cleans creating huge sense of balance to Saukkonen’s bellowing lows and muscular guitar work, and I vividly remember my first reaction being, “Damn, now I really wish Wolfheart would fuck with more cleans.” It seemed like the missing piece bringing the whole thing together. As it turns out, I got my wish – and the results are exactly as I had envisioned. With the addition of guitarist and new clean vocalist Vagelis Karzis (who used to play live with Rotting Christ), this is now a band ready to attack from all angles, surrounding it’s prey with a mix of fast, muscular brutality, and cunning subtlety and grace.

Tracks like the epic opener “Skyforger,” and the stunning “Headstones” are using every tactic in the book – the former announcing itself with an enormous intro melody that has all the pomp and swagger of a band extremely confident in what they’re about to unleash, and doing so without hesitation. Tuomas’ signature growls enter the fray with an explosion of furious guitars and drums. This all sounds fairly typical of the band, before everything but the drums and bass shut down and slow to a spacious, eerie crawl. Karzis’ cleans then enter the fray, and even with Jesse Leach’s guest appearance on “Ancestor” serving as a foreshadowing of the band’s direction, the new wrinkle still blows you away. It’s just such a nice break from the more typical Wolfheart storm, and when the guitars ramp back up and Saukkonen retakes the vocal lead, it hits with that much more impact.

I’m also very happy to hear King of the North continue the band’s more recent trend of making concept albums. Saukkonen is a tremendous story teller, and now with the new wrinkles being added to the band’s sound, they’re even more suited to telling these tales with a greater sense of mood and clarity. The super heavy, angular “The King,” struts with the sense of power and poise of the character the song boasts, where “Knell,” a song about a character forcing themselves not to give in to the grips of death, hits with an icier, more dire tone that allows you to really visualize the story playing out in your mind. And when the band wants to unleash their attack and bash your brains in, they’re still more than capable of creating the necessary intensity. One listen to “Cold Flame” (featuring Nile‘s Karl Sanders) or “Fires of the Fallen” and you’ll be gasping for breath trying to keep up.

As usual, it’s Saukkonen’s distinct guitar melodies and solos that carries the day, and though it probably doesn’t even need to be said, they’re fantastic. His melodies continue to be second-to-none, and his solos can easily be picked out of a crowd of his Scandinavian counterparts. Whether it’s Wolfheart, Dawn of Solace, Before the Dawn or any of his other billion projects, you know it’s Tuomas playing guitar, and it’s a quality that I think you can only find in maybe a couple handfuls of musicians around the world. His mastery of piano and orchestration also continues to play such a huge part of Wolfheart‘s sound, perfectly accentuating the cold, desolate lows and the epic, blood-pumping highs of the album. If the guy wanted to get into movie scoring (and Gods know he’s a guy who loves to keep himself busy), I think he’d find success very quickly. Get a hold of Danny Elfman pronto.

There are so many little nuances and decisions made by the band on King of the North that make it such a huge success that I could go on writing for days about it. I’m not going to do that, nobody wants to read that. I’ll just leave you with a plea to get this thing in your hands as soon as possible, because it’s not every day you get to hear a band really come into full form like this. This is a band whose journey has been much greater than its years (I don’t know why but it blows me away that they haven’t even been around 10 years yet), and who knows – this may not even be the destination they’re ultimately seeking – but if we can get more of this from the band moving forward, I’m all-in. King of the North has solidified the band as just that – they are the new kings of all Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal. Argue whatever you want, I will not (for now) be convinced otherwise.

To me, Wolfheart’s first two releases, Winterborn and Shadow World, were absolute masterpieces – epic, emotive and creatively diverse albums the breathed new, inspiring life into a subgenre that was abandoned and left for dead, and put them nearly on equal footing with countrymates Insomnium as the modern day leaders of melodeath.

Unfortunately, Saukkonen’s dogged work habit started to muddle things a bit. Only a year after the release of Shadow World, Wolfheart released (*checks spelling*) Tyhjyys, a seemingly rushed, uneven affair that didn’t feel like a finished product. Less than two years after, they followed up with Constellations of the Black Light, which featured a couple strong tracks but was, again, an incomplete, not-quite-fully-formed affair. It started to feel like maybe Tuomas had stripped all the meat off the bone, and there was just nothing much left to chew on.

So when I heard that Wolfheart was getting set to release another album, less than two years removed from Constellations and just months after Saukkonen’s Dawn of Solace release, I really thought the odds were high that it would be an uninspired, dog-tired effort that wouldn’t have much bark, and almost no bite. I was ready to take ‘Ol Yeller out back and… uh… send him to that farm upstate.

But as it turns out, maybe that brief distraction away from Wolfheart to concentrate on the Dawn of Solace release was just enough to give Tuomas the break he needed to recharge the batteries and inject some real life back into the old girl, because Wolves of Karelia is a goddamn revelation. 

To start, Wolves of Karelia sounds fucking HUGE. I think Constellations… and (*KEYBOARD SMASH*) Tyhjyys saw the band searching for a bigger, more burly sound, but both fell short end ended up feeling flat as a result. Wolves, on the other hand, achieves an almost blockbuster, Dimmu Borgir or Shade Empire-level of robust. And the balance between the dark and light, the brutal and melodic is just so much more on point this time around, as showcased right out of the gate on “Hail of Steel,” kicking things off with a soaring, epic melody backed by thunderous, war-like drums that hint at some of that bouncy, full-body groove that made tracks like “Strength and Valour” and “Zero Gravity” so infectious on their first two albums. Saukkonen and Co. then launch into a neck-snapping, blackened blast beat assault before unleashing a catchy, grandiose chorus that just pulls you in and makes you want more.

And thank the gods, the band obliges. “Horizon on Fire” starts like a collective breath before an oncoming storm, and exhales with a typhoon of guitars and drums that feel alive with organic fury and movement from one verse to the next, coming together with another melodic and evocative chorus that leaves a big mark. “Reaper” changes the pace slightly with a bouncier, more ground n‘ pound approach that, again, is marked by another soaring, instantly memorable chorus (this one in particular being one of the best on the album). Aptly titled, “The Hammer” rounds out the first half of the album with a real bruiser, serving up the kinds of heavy, galloping riffs that made tracks like “Valkyrie” (one of Constellations… few bright spots) such a big hit with fans.

After a brief respite to clear away the debris on the ALSO aptly titled “Eye of the Storm,” “Born from Fire” rekindles the flame and hits you with a more plodding, deliberate attack that rumbles along like a horde with marching orders. As such, following track “Arrows of Chaos,” is the battle awaiting them at the end of that merch – a big, axe-swinging, Amon Amarth-ian track that serves as an appropriate crescendo to the epic buildup laid before it. And what’s left after that epic battle? Well, “Ashes,” of course – providing the album with a really somber, emotive ending that closes the book on what truly is an exciting, breathtaking tale.

It took me a long time to fully wrap my head around this one. Every time I thought I’d had it figured out, another little nook hidden in the fold would pop up and surprise me with a new level of depth. I’d step away from it, only to come back later with a whole new perspective on what’s going on here. There’s just so many little things the band does right – little flourishes like the thunderous war drum accents on tracks like “Horizon on Fire,” “The Hammer” and “Ashes” – that I just fucking LOVE and serve to give this album a real presence and scenery. It’s kinda like a more focused and (in my probably unpopular opinion) successful version of Insomnium’s Winter’s Gate. I wasn’t ready at first to put this on the same pedestal as Winterborn or Shadow World, but as time went by, the more and more my love and appreciation for this album grew, and I’m very nearly ready to call this their best effort yet. Ask me again in another week or two – it might be album of the year by then.

This is Saukkonen’s fourth album under the Wolfheart moniker since 2013, and he is as consistent as he is prolific, as Constellation of the Black Light deliver yet more quality, instantly recognizable Finnish melodic, yet melancholic death metal. It also continues the slightly more aggressive, melodic black metal evolution that started on 2015s Shadow World (think opener “Aeon of Cold”) and developed more on  2017s Tyhjyys.

10+ minuter opener “Everlasting Fall” starts the album with basically a full on symphonic black metal track , with wonderful orchestration and small segments of more gruff Finnish melancholy. Its a decent track, but at ten minutes it tends to drag on in its latter stages, and probably could have been a more appropriate album ender. That said, the next 6 tracks are all absolutely perfect songs, that are a little shorter and full of sheer Finnish bliss.

Second track, “Breakwater”, should have been the album opener, a blistering death /black metal blast layered with a well placed clean chorus and killer riffs and a dramatic lead solo and somber rumble to close out. “The Saw” is another standout with a more standard, crunchy but melancholic  moody Finnish gait and pace. “Forged with Fire” ups the tempo a little with a great chord progressions and some killer , delicate piano tinkling in the background before one of my favorite tracks, “Defender” a mid paced rumbler with a gorgeous orchestral laced chorus. Another favorite, “Warfare” is the album’s most direct, aggressive track with blast beats mixing with sweeping but symphonics and and a superb atmospheric last stanza. Closer “Valkyrie”, is an apt, somber end note, with essentially an instrumental second half that;s a sobering mid paced crunch and march before fading out.

As you’d expect, the production is clean and brisk, like the Finnish mountains with typical Finnish crunch, and Saukkonen keeps the vocals also distinctly Finnish with powerful, deep growls.  Constellation of the Black Light is yet another consistent winning album from Wolfheart, a band that should garner more and more recognition with the pantheons of Finnish metal.

So here is album number 3, the tongue twistingly titled, Tyhjyys (’emptiness’) and Saukkonen continues to blend album art and motifs with the band’s delivery. You have the cold plod of the blue/white drenched debut, then the fiery autumnal delivery of Shadow World, and now the grey black palette and title of a much more personal, introspective but aggressive album.

Though still flocked with unmistakably somber, Finnish melodies, there is a more urgent overall delivery with a large amount of tremolo picked blast beats. After the Amorphis-ish, typically acoustic intro “Shores of the Lake Simple”, the first full track “Boneyard” blasts out of the gate with a furious pace, albeit with the recognizable Finnish crunch and deep growls (and a nice delicate mid song break) And this increased furor surfaces throughout the album, again on “World on Fire”, with added symphonic bombast and “The Rift”, though still amid it all, those rending Finnish harmonies ebb and flow to break things up.

And it’s those moments I prefer. The band’s more typically Finnish, morose and crunchy, atmospheric moments like “The Flood”, standout “Call of the Winter” , where the band show just how damn good they can be,  “Dead White” and the closing title track are perfect examples of how more evocative and effective they can be as opposed to the more sheer assault of the rest of the material. It appears Saukkonen is far more competent when influenced by colder, sadder and wetter realms.

That all said, there is something about Tyhjyys that isn’t quite grabbing like the first two efforts. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but my enthusiasm is far more tempered and I’m not as childishly excited about the album as I was for the first 2, especially the cello glossed Winterborn. Still, Tyhjyys is a fine album that still signals Wolfheart is a rising force in the Finnish metal scene.

Whereas the template of the music is still heavily rooted in his past along with a touch of Amorphis, Insomnium, October Falls and Noumena, Shadow World expands it a little, and one only need look to the color scheme of the album artwork. Whereas Winterborn was a more somber, cold and cello laden affair, Shadow World is more indicative of autumnal, fiery hues and a more aggressive sound. The cello is all but gone replaced by a piano and more driven chunky riffs, though still flocked with that unmistakable downtrodden Finnish sheen.

The delicate piano that opens “Aeon of Cold” could have come from any recent Amorphis album, but explodes in a furious blast beat, immediately signalling Saukkonen’s more aggressive intent. And from there, if you heard the debut or any of the above mentioned bands, you know what you are getting into, production, riff and vocal wise, even if is is rendered with a little more bite than you might expect.

As with Winterborn, there isn’t a weak song or riff, even if missing the more introspective moments and atmospherics. This is all about big crunchy, slightly sonorous Finnish riffs and big bellowed vocals. Picking out favorites is difficult, but the frantic stomp of “Storm Centre” struck a chord with me reminding me of “Hell Is Where the Heart Is” from Edge of Sanity‘s Infernal.  Also, “Last of all Winters”  has that perfect, emotive Amorphis bounce and chug while “Abyss”, the album’s most restrained track, still rumbles with moody purpose. It’s followed by “Resistance” a polar opposite and one of the album’s most forceful tracks.  8 minute closer “Veri” is the album’s lone truly ‘slow’ doomier track closing things out with an appropriate mood and orchestral ending.

But really, all 9 tracks and 46 minutes are enthralling, top notch, Finnish melodic death/doom metal and it looks like Saukkonen and Wolfheart look to have the rare double dip of killer albums in one year in 2015.

Those familiar with albums from both Black Sun Aeon and Before the Dawn (2012’s swansong Rise of the Phoenix was a criminally underrated, brilliant release) will know what to expect here, as Saukkonen is going back to the same musical well in style; Lush Finnish melodic death/doom metal with a melancholy edge that’s full of big chunky riffs, deep bellows, crestfallen leads and all lightly flecked with some gorgeous cellos. You can’t help but make comparisons to the likes of Insomnium, October Falls, Noumena and Rapture and certainly at times, Amorphis, the godfathers of the style.

And my god is it ever good. Even with such obvious nods to a tried and tested sound, Saukkonen (joined by many of his Before the Dawn and Black Sun Aeon bros) as you’d expect, absolutely nails the sound. There are soooo many good riffs on here, it simply has to be heard from start to finish. The album has it all from more up-tempo urgent numbers (“Strength and Valor”, “Ghost of Karelia”) to slower more morose lopes ( “Gale of Winter”, “I” both where the Amorphis sound really comes through) and plenty of wilting atmospherics (“Breathe”, sorrowful interlude “Isolation”), of course all of it is rendered with a big Finnish crunch, rending leads, powerful bellows (no cleans here either) and the light gloss of morose cellos and synths.

Picking standout tracks is virtually impossible as there simply isn’t any filler here. Every track just oozes excellence. That being said, opener “The Hunt” and fifth track “Ghost of Karelia” which has pretty much a perfect opening riff, and the more somber “Routa pt 2” are just simply jaw dropping in their perfect rendering of this style. But no disrespect to the likes of “Chasm”,  or closer “Into the Wild”, as that’s like picking out the hottest person from a group of 10s. Every track is damn near perfect.

Winterborn is about a perfect album as I’ve heard in a looooong time. Not only is this going to be very high on my year end list, if I’m still doing this writing thing in 5-10 years, don’t be surprised if this gets the ‘New Classics’ treatment at some point down the road. Sublime.