Death Wolf

Originally formed as Devils Whorehouse over a decade ago, the revised package that are Marduk guitarist Morgan Håkansson's Death Wolf are an interesting, if not altogether original, creation. Uniting Mercyful Fate's cryptic aura with an obvious obsession for all things Danzig ― from the Misfits references to a throaty croon on "The Other Hell" ― there is certainly no lack of enthusiasm on these 12 tracks. Slightly bluesy while still thick, loud and angry, it has the mystique, crunch and dynamism one requires when treading so closely on a master's territory. That said, if one really wanted to hear Lucifuge, why would we bother reaching for this anaesthetized version? If truly in a pinch for dark, elongated chords, drumming worthy of the first Black Sabbath album and singing blending Jim Morrison with Elvis Presley, Death Wolf would work. At any other point, it reeks of amateurish, though sincere, plagiarism.