Midnight Lightning

Austrian asphalt defiler Roadwolf crest the bloody rise with its sophomore album, Midnight Lightning, and it's safe to say the rowdily rocking quartet has finally come full circle. While this will be a quick spiel of praise - as mister clock refuses to stand down - for front man Franz' slightly altered but forever ballsy crew, I feel I've already yawped plenty about the Wiener Neustadt growlers, so bare with me as I attempt to render some token semblance of justice before the dawn is up.

The band is indeed struck by midnight lightning as, from the first on Striker aping opener "On The Run", things are off to a wicked start. Each instrument is right up in your whiskered face, the bass plumply resounding and in synchronized tandem with the ever-fat, rollicking drums. If anything, the well seasoned lads simply sound that much more confident and lively. Alhough I dug up a bone with 2011's oh-so-distant demo, Roadwolf is now operating on a whole new level. Each track is a highlight, be it from pummelling title track's Southern rock sway and super cool highway cruising vibe to the cowbell toked, 1980's heavy rock reflections on "Supernatural", with an Amulet reminiscent "Mark Of The Devil" in between.

Due to time constraints, the prospect of a rash track-by-tracker is imminent, yet I shall fight the pernicious urge; allow me to simply vaunt the merits of a newly reformed and rocksteady outfit whose only direction is up, up and away...towards trad metal greatness. Further whelp-to-wolf worthies include the slippery-as-Hell and Bullet-like "High Under Pressure", where an electrifying saxophone even goes off at one point, as well as conducive outlier/longest cut "Sons Of The Golden Horde", which feels like it was written by Italy's good ole Gengis Khan.

Okay, I'll toss in the rest before I rush out the door: the gang shouted and bass dominant mid pace stomp of "Don't Deliver Us From Evil" brings to carnivorous mind Unchain The Wolf's as singular "Never Surrender", whilst the big drum energy of "Running Out Of Time" (a fitting title!), combined with Franz's oil slick vocals, makes me think of Warrant, from back in my youthful glory days. Fleshing out the storm is the thunderous "Savage Child" followed by its polar opposite, a Heaven And Hell type of Dio deal in balladic closer "Isolated Hearts".

With bagel in toaster and hour drawing nigh, I keen deeply to Roadwolf's Midnight Lightning.