Sweden's Wolf have found prominent success throughout Europe with their traditional take on heavy metal, having already released two albums through No Fashion Records to rave reviews. Garnering a North American distribution deal with metal upstart Prosthetic Records, Wolf now look to find the same acclaim on this side of the Atlantic with their latest effort, "Evil Star". Once again enlisting the help of Hypocrisy frontman and producer Peter Tägtgren, the metallic ensemble have opted to forego the expected style of chunky metalcore or the increasingly overexposed 'Gothenburg' sound, instead creating an album that chooses to hark back to the very roots of European heavy metal for inspiration.

This is an album that relishes in the theatrical explosions of such perennial favorites as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. Rather than pander to the expectations of today's overbearing metal escapades, these men have crafted what would have been considered a classic heavy metal album twenty years ago. Awash with images of blood-thirsty were-beasts and stoic barbarians seeking vengeance, "Evil Star" embraces the essence of traditional metal in all of its fantastical glory. The vast majority of the album is built around epic in length journey's into the realm of the dark fantasy, with cuts like "Transylvanian Twilight" and "Black Wing Rider" being powered by images straight out of classic horror, yet the band also pay homage to some of their core influences in a handful of entertaining covers. Slayer, Blue Oyster Cult and The Ramones all get the Wolf treatment, though the Swedish trio handle the songs with the utmost respect and deliver remarkable results.

"Evil Star" is rife with overly cheesy wails and cliche guitar solos, yet their very demeanor is derived from the nostalgic yester-year of traditional 80's metal. Peter Tägtgren's production is exquisite, drawing forth the very heart and soul of the influential decade, and while the album never quite feels current, Wolf never intended it to be. In comparison to the heavy-handed bravado of today's modern metal, an album as extravagantly antique as this is sadly bound to be scoffed at. Yet for those metal listeners longing for a reminder of the times when leather jackets and spikes signified everything right about the genre, Wolf provides an enjoyable escape.