Powerwolf pretty much come from out of nowhere and Return In Bloodred is their debut album. All of this doesn’t sound that amazing were it not for the fact that – without anything to really show for – this band was signed by Metal Blade. Not the least of labels to start on. In fact, probably the most renowned label when it comes down to real metal. What makes Powerwolf then this special?

After listening to Return In Bloodred some things have become clearer but let me begin with stating that Powerwolf aren’t the new gods of metal in any way, nor are they going to pump fresh blood into the metal scene in general. Fact of the matter is that Powerwolf simply play very decent old school heavy metal that will definitely appeal to the older fans of the genre. Influences range from Black Sabbath to Mercyful Fate and Powerwolf generally steer towards the darker side of heavy metal.

I could end the review here but I wouldn’t do Powerwolf justice, so I won’t. There’s more to Return In Bloodred than meets the eye. Romanian born singer Attila Dorn appears to be a key element; a form of chemistry, a catalyst that has put things in motion if you will. His voice is superb, of course you couldn’t expect anything less from a man who is classically schooled, even though he doesn’t really use his voice to the fullest extend. Attila’s influence on the band doesn’t end there though. He brought with him a rich Romanian cultural inheritance and imbibed the heavy metal with it.

I must admit that even though Powerwolf play pretty standard heavy metal, they have succeeded in creating their own sound. It’s these small atmospheric touches (like the howling of wolves and the narrative bible passages in the final track) and the lyrics that deal with Romanian culture. Sure, it’s a bit on the corny side at times but it’s all in line with what to expect from a classic heavy metal band. My only real complaints involve the length of Return In Bloodred and the amount of repetition in some of the songs. The album is a little bit shy of 40 minutes and I’d have liked to hear a bit more.

To stay in line with Black Sabbath, Powerwolf end Return In Bloodred with a ‘weird’ song. Weird might not be the best word to use here because “Son Of The Morning Star” is a superb piece of work. Here Attila uses his classical voice and the track is really laid back with a piano melody. It has a very atmospheric feel to it. For just being an experiment I have to say this is excellent and I want to hear more of it! The wicked spoken bible passages, the awesome vocals, and the excellent melody leave me craving for more.

Return In Bloodred is a good debut album which clearly isn’t aimed to be innovative nor original. It’s pure classic heavy metal wrapped in some minor Romanian mysticism. If you don’t care for originality but care for decent heavy metal then this is the album for you.