Metal Underground.com

Death Wolf marks the third phase of Morgan Håkansson’s (Marduk) tribute to all things Glenn Danzig. Death Wolf started as a Misfits cover band, then became Devils Whorehouse and now wears the mark, Death Wolf. Death Wolf, as did Devils Whorehouse, pays homage to Danzig’s classic bands, but obviously done by the founder and guitarist of Marduk.

“Circle of Abomination” opens the self-titled release with what appears as unmistakable black metal guitar play, but the riffs ends on a note more aligned with The Ramones than Marduk. From punks to thrashers and black metal heathens, this opening riff is a circle pit just waiting to happen. “Weaving Death” drops any black metal resemblance, moving with the simplistic chords of Samhain and the Misfits.

Death Wolf’s faster punk songs are catchy and filled with aggressive energy, but the group is at its best on songs with a greater diversity of tempo. Not only does Maelstrom emit smoother vocals—he mostly yells the fast parts—the group can better explore the atmosphere embodied in the “Northern end themes and death hymns.” “Circle of Abomination” ends with ill-omened bells and strange guitar effects. The heavily distorted guitar notes on “Ironwood” references the doom-filled vibe of classic John Christ/Toni Iommi ax work. The oriental scales and ringing notes of “Wolf’s Pallid Sister” convey similar mystic movements as Marduk’s mid-era song “Summers End.”

Instead of joining in a three-minute speed fest, Death Wolf pays more attention to composition during these moodier tracks. On “Morning Czar Shineth,” Morgan’s bass lines open the song to the tune of howling wolves. This part would work well on the score for a Bela Lugosi film. The tempo perfectly waxes and wanes during “The Other Hell.” Makko’s single string guitar rhythms and Maelstrom’s mellifluous vocal tones are as close as the band comes to capturing the dark beauty found in Danzig recordings.

No one could say Death Wolf rips off Danzig’s three bands. The fact that elements from his punk and metal days appear together marks something different. While not as apparent as early Devils Whorehouse, the black metal parts still lie below the surface. Still, anyone who hears this will say it sounds like Danzig and start the comparisons. Danzig has fuller chorus lines, which in the end makes his music more accessible. However, Death Wolf contains fuller guitar sounds. In the end, those looking for a similar act to supplement their Danzig collection should give Death Wolf a listen.