Metal Underground.com

With "The Black Flame," Swedish rockers Wolf set the way-back machine to around 1983, creating a solid slab of melodic metal in the Maiden mold. Sure, the band wears its influences on its sleeve, but when the music is performed as well as the songs on this disc are, originality isn't such a pressing concern.

One thing that separates Wolf from the rest of the Iron Maiden imitators is guitarist/singer Niklas Stalvind's vocals, which, quite honestly are reminiscent of a more tightly controlled Geddy Lee from Rush. Songs like "At The Graveyard" have quite a bit of falsetto, but it's never obnoxious.

Stalvind and fellow ax-slinger Johannes Losback have obviously studied at the Murray-Smith school of twin-guitar assault, with songs like the aforementioned "At The Graveyard" and "Demon" having some particularly interesting solos and instrumental passages that will remind you quite a bit of early Maiden.

With all of the Maiden-worship going on, it's a little surprising that the best song on the album is the Judas Priest-flavored "Steelwinged Savage Reaper," which seriously sounds as if it could've been a "Painkiller" outtake, particularly as Stalvind's vocals rise during the bridge. Usually I'm a little ambivalent about sampled sounds like engines revving up and police sirens howling in the background, but in this case, they work spectacularly well.

Another great track is the opener, "I Will Kill Again," which tells the tale of a serial killer talking to the one victim he left alive from behind prison bars. As Stalvind sings, "Don't release me, I'd kill again," it's enough to send a shiver down your spine.

On the downside, there are a couple songs where things just get a little too grandiose for their own good. The worst of these is "Children Or The Black Flame," which features guest vocalist Sonny Larsson and some overly theatrical guitar soloing.

Wolf's "The Black Flame" ably carries the torch for the melodic metal of the early '80s. If you're a fan of Iron Maiden, Saxon or Judas Priest, odds are, you're going to find this to be an excellent 47-minute musical journey.