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Rating:
8.1 |
Wolverine - Communication Lost
23 May 2011
01. Downfall
02. Into The Great Nothing
03. Poison Ivy
04. Your Favourite War
05. Embrace
06. Pulse
07. What Remains
08. In Memory Of Me
09. In The Quiet Of Dawn
10. Communication Lost
11. A Beginning
You know when you taste something you have never had before and you kind of like it? Communication Lost was like that for me. I had never tasted Wolverine before. But what does it taste like? Melodic progressive metal goodness.
It begins in an eerie mood with "Downfall", which is a premonition of what is to come, in the musical form of brooding emptiness. The album appeals to the emotions. There is also an underpinning feeling of things ending and of change. That seems to be a recurring theme stretching out to catch most songs.
Comparisons can be drawn with Darkwater, especially in terms of song structures and principles. Both are very vocal-oriented; all the instruments work around the voice which takes center stage to be served by them. Stefan Zell's vocals are truly enchanting and can easily appeal to power metal sensibilities. He is also far from being a one-trick pony: his voice is neither monotone nor monotonous; it grabs your attention. Apart from that, "Poison Ivy" is reminiscent of Green Carnation at times, especially in the beginning, but overall the album manages to set itself apart from these echoes.
You will not find a big frenzy of riffs in Communication Lost. Instead, the focus is on building atmospheres, often using the keyboards and also cellos to convey melancholy, sadness and hollowness, depending on the song. So, if you are looking for a more edgy type of prog, look elsewhere. But progressive metal comes in many different shapes and sizes, of course. It also has many clichés. The solos (long or otherwise), which in many bands exist solely for stylistic reasons, almost as a prop, are not as stereotyped here. This is a well-balanced album, which is probably its best quality. The more mellow and delicate parts will only make you want to sink in a little bit deeper. In that sense, it is a good album to listen to on those nights where you are too tired to care and just want to chill out by yourself.
While not positioning themselves on the front line of innovation in the genre, Wolverine manage to tap into the potential of their music and write appealing, engaging songs. They are not trying to write over-the-top, exceedingly ornate songs. The approach is subtle. The album is also circular, it ends where it began, but this time leaving the listener with a renewed sense of hope as it questions what happens after we destroy something, when something inside us is lost.
Highlights: "Communication Lost", "Into The Great Nothing", "Poison Ivy", "In The Quiet Of Dawn" and "Pulse".
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Performance:
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8 |
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Songwriting:
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8 |
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Originality:
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7 |
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Production:
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8 |
written by BloodTears | 19.08.2011 |
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Comments
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11
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Users visited:
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62 |
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Wanted to do a review for this one too but you beat me to it  well done, pretty well written. |
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Written by Milena on 19.08.2011 at 01:23
Wanted to do a review for this one too but you beat me to it well done, pretty well written.
Thank you for the compliment! So what do you think about the album?  |
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Whoa, whoa, whoa.... just listened to this album and am impressed... teh internetz iz happeniz 2 fas.
Beautiful review Ana... |
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 AXA - 19.08.2011 at 05:34
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| I will hear it very will . \../ |
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 01:25
Written by Milena on 19.08.2011 at 01:23
Wanted to do a review for this one too but you beat me to it well done, pretty well written.
Thank you for the compliment! So what do you think about the album?
I adore it, of course they've grown to be one of my favorite prog metal bands, hope they keep up with this pace. I especially liked it when I read this little interview here, which explains the story behind every song: http://www.wolverine-overdose.com/index/?p=330 |
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Written by Milena on 19.08.2011 at 10:52
Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 01:25
Written by Milena on 19.08.2011 at 01:23
Wanted to do a review for this one too but you beat me to it well done, pretty well written.
Thank you for the compliment! So what do you think about the album?
I adore it, of course they've grown to be one of my favorite prog metal bands, hope they keep up with this pace. I especially liked it when I read this little interview here, which explains the story behind every song: http://www.wolverine-overdose.com/index/?p=330
The lyrics are more personal on Communication Lost and that is more appealing to me than a part-fictional theme of child abusing that was present on previous albums...
... and my compliments too to the reviewer but I disagree with originality score cos their "simple" and "non-shredding" style is refreshing and innovative. Wolverine makes both beautiful, experimental, almost ambient-like pieces as well as truly energetic metal songs. I see them as natural successors of Sieges Even. |
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Written by Awesomesaurus on 22.08.2011 at 20:08
I see them as natural successors of Sieges Even.
Except no one's heard of Sieges Even  (( |
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Written by Milena on 23.08.2011 at 01:21
Written by Awesomesaurus on 22.08.2011 at 20:08
I see them as natural successors of Sieges Even.
Except no one's heard of Sieges Even ((
Spread the word.  |
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| Haven't heard this album since it first came out, but something at the back of my mind kept tugging at me to get back to it in the past week or so. Listening to it again and re-read your review as well. both are quite excellent. |
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Written by Ag Fox on 20.02.2012 at 03:34
Haven't heard this album since it first came out, but something at the back of my mind kept tugging at me to get back to it in the past week or so. Listening to it again and re-read your review as well. both are quite excellent.
Thank you, Marshall
I still listen to it from time to time. Too bad (or good) this year was so good for prog, otherwise they would've made it to the Awards. |
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| You're welcome, and definitely a good thing. Can't complain when there's too much good music floating around haha |
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