SLEAZEROXX
When
this EP arrived in the mail from Finland I had no idea
who Wolfchild was or what kind of music they played, and
the album artwork/band image really didn't offer many
clues. The headline on their press release simply stated
"real rock is not dead!!" Of course I already
knew this, but now I had to determine if Wolfchild was
part of this rock resurrection or simply another group
making false claims.
It took all of 10 seconds to get my answer as the heavy
drum/bass intro of "Cuts Like A Knife" was slapped
aside by a powerful guitar riff. Then came the vocals,
a deep and gruff version of Michael Monroe or Ian Astbury
that fit the raunchy music perfectly - this is what "real
rock" was all about. While the opening track was
pure sleaze the next song, "Gasoline", wandered
straight into the no-frills musical arena made popular
by classic AC/DC. One could even close their eyes and
imagine Angus Young laying down these killer little guitar
leads. Wolfchild definitely has a lot of potential. "Out
Of The Blues" ends the Toxic EP on a mid-tempo 70's
Uriah Heep note. The song isn't horrible, but just doesn't
fit alongside the first couple of tunes. So forget about
slowing things down, if Wolfchild keeps the guitars cranked
and the bottom-end chugging along they will be a band
to keep an eye out for. Give them a listen at
www.drink.to/wolfchild - they were right, "real rock
is not dead" after all!
Reviewed
by Skid for Sleaze Roxx, June 2005.
STRUTTER
MAGAZINE
Wolfchild
formed back in 2002 and they comes from Finland. So far
they had release one self financed Ep and before two months
they released their new demo Cd with the title "Roxic".
The band includes their new three tracks and with the
addition of a new vocalist/guitar player Kim Hogberg (ex-Hellion,
Bulldozer), the band crystallize their idea of classic
'70-80ies hard rock style. Just hear the second track
"Gasoline" and you will understand what i mean.
I think this is the best track from the whole album, besides
that we have the "slow" track which is the last
one "Out from the blues". Definitely the fans
of 70ies and 80ies decade of hard rock will love the stuff
from Wolfchild. Count on them they deserve your attention.
(Point: 7,5 out of 10) Review by Antonis Maglaras
STRUTTER
MAGAZINE
Good
old Rock'n Roll is what we can hear on the 3-track CD
of WOLFCHILD, a band from Finland that can be compared
musically to KROKUS, AC/DC and HELIX. Cuts like a knife
and Gasoline are both straight-ahead uptempo rockers,
while closing track Out from the blues is a nice semi-ballad.
Finally a band from Finland which is not playing the typical
Finnish Hardrock/Metal, because WOLFCHILD gets back to
the late 70s/early 80s with their non-nonsense original
Hardrock.
(Points: 7.8 out of 10) Gabor Fabian
HARDROCK
HAVEN
This
3-song classic rock style EP from Wolfchild is really
unusual from a band hailing from the Scandanavia region
of Europe. Nine out of ten band’s albums from there recently
have been neo-classic progressive, death, black or epic
metal. The first song is entitled “Cuts Like a Knife”
and is a solid rock and roll early ‘80s style song. It
starts off with a soft drum beat gets stronger and has
the typical rock song structure throughout, including
a Ted Nugent sounding guitar rhythm section and a typical
Richie Sambora style rock solo. The second song “Gasoline”
is a wild party style rock song that is fast and fun throughout.
This song may remind you of the band Jackyl, and the fun
they used to have performing. Finally the third song is
a slower classic rock ride and also includes a slow bluesy
rock style solo that is well done but hardly original.
There are three questions one must have after listening
to this CD. Why are there only 3 songs? Which one of these
guys is the illegitimate child of a barely successful
‘80s band’s roadie? Which one of them had to retire as
president of the Bon Jovi fan club to release this EP
due to a conflict of interest? On a more serious note,
the three songs are decent, however incredibly dated and
create more questions than answers. Finally, the lead
singer Kim Hogberg has a very gruff voice and it definitely
does not match the style on 2 of the 3 songs presented
here.
HRH Rating: 5.5/10 by Matthew Hoffman
NO
RESPECT MAGAZINE
(Italian)
Basso e timpani, basso e timpani, la produzione è
quella giusta e basta questa serie di sorde esplosioni
a riempire lo spazio di luce nera, e insinuare l’idea
di una “demon song”, da accostare ad autentici masterpiece
come Higway to Hell e Shout At the devil. Questa si intitola
Cuts like a Knife ed è giusto, perché il
riff taglia come una katana, tempo quattro quarti, alla
Angus Young, che spreme dalla diavoletto di Marko Purosto
ogni goccia di suono possibile. Ho cercato, fin qui di
trasmettervi l’entusiasmo che ho provato ascoltando la
prima delle tre canzoni di “Toxic” dei finlandesi Wolfchild.
Impressione confermata con Gasoline, street hard rock
‘n roll dal sapore southern rock e sarà per il
vocione al bourbon di Kim Hogberg, sarà per quell’animosità
profusa nel pestare ogni accordo come fosse quello definitivo,
sarà perché so che i ragazzi adorano Rhino
Bucket e Jackyl, ma mi sembra che questi siano i confini
della musica targata Wolfchild.
Infine
Out From The Blues è proprio un ballatone di scuola
Lynyrd Skynyrd colorato dal feeling di un assolo lunghissimo
carico di blues, la perfetta sintesi di forma e sostanza.Il
grido dei figli della lupa non deve restare inascoltato!
(English)
bass and bass drum, this is the right production and a
series of deep explosions fills the black light space.
it does sneak in the idea of a "demon song"
that can be compared to classics like highway to hell
and shout at the devil. It is called Cuts like a knife,
the riff cuts like a katana (japanese cerimonial sword..)4/4
tempo, like angus young did it, Marko's devilish guitar
squeezes every possible drop of sound. I have tried so
far to convey the enthusiasm I felt listening at the first
Toxic song from the Finnish Wolfchild. My
initial impression was confirmed by Gasoline, southern
rock influenced street hard rock and roll. Perhaps
because of Kim’s bourbon voice, maybe because they play
every chord like if it was the last they ever played,
maybe because the finnish boys like Rhino bucket and Jackyl,
but I truly believe these are Wolfchild’s music boundaries.
Lastly
out of the blues is a Lynyrd Skynyrd type of ballad, painted
by the feeling of a very long blues solo, perfect summary
of form and substance. The
scream of wolfchild cannot be ignored!!
pietro(a)norespect.it
NOISE
Nimi
Wolfchild luo automaattisesti mielikuvia jonkin sortin
voimametalliretkueesta tai Bodom-tyylisestä melokuolosta,
mutta tämän radanvarresta ponnistavan nelikon
materiaali on huomattavasti maanläheisempää
ja vanhanaikaisempaa, ja tuttujen kuvioiden onnistunutta
toistamista arvostetaan enemmän kuin uusien innovaatioiden
esittelyä. Toxic on hyvinkääläisyhtyeen
toinen demo, joka tarjoilee 12 minuuttia hyvin kursailematonta
ja kirkasotsaista hard rockia.
Avausraita Cuts Like a Knife säväyttää
yksinkertaisella riffillä puraisevan kertosäkeensä
ansiosta ja tuo mieleen samoissa tunnelmissa liikkuvan
Judas Priestin Heading Out to the Highwayn. Yhtyeestä
välittyy jonkinlainen rakkaus maanteitä nuolevia
bensanimijöitä kohtaan, ja avausraitaa yksinkertaisempi
ja sanalla sanoen tyhjäpäisempi Gasoline onkin
sopivaa tavaraa päämäärättömälle
kaasuttelulle. Demon päättävä Out
from the Blues todistaa rauhallisuudellaan yhtyeen kyvyn
venyä hyvin erilaisiin esityksiin, sillä tämä
duuriballadi luo mielleyhtymiä lähinnä
auringonlaskussa kutemiseen ja Lynyrd Skynyrdiin.
Yhtyeen
yksinkertaiset kappaleet eivät vaadi jäsenistöltä
mitään poikkeuksellista virtuositeettia, mutta
soitto pelaa tasaisen varmasti. Laulusta vastaava Kim
Högberg ei ole aivan vakuuttavimmillaan rokkaavien
raitojen voimakkainta tulkintaa vaativissa kohdissa, mutta
toisaalta se vain korostaa yhtyeen miellyttävää
maanläheisyyttä. Out from the Bluesin rauhallisessa
kellunnassa laulu puolestaan kuulostaa sopivan tunnelmalliselta
ja miehekkäältä. Soundit ovat musiikille
sopivan tukevat ja selkeät, eikä Mokoman kanssa
piehtaroineen Janne Saksan miksaustyöskentely
varmasti ole asiaan täysin syytön. (Tässä
asiavirhe - Janne Saksa vastasi masteroinnista, ei miksauksesta.
-Wolfchild huom.)
Toxic ei taatusti tuo ensimmäistäkään
uutta nuottia maailman musiikkirintamalle, mutta ei se
niin mainosta tekevänsäkään. Se taitaa
valitsemansa tyylin mallikkaasti ja on saanut esityksiinsä
mukaan aitoa lämpöä ja rekkamiesmäistä
rehellisyyttä. Kun demolle on vielä valittu
luontevasti yhtyeen eri puolia esitteleviä sävellyksiä,
ei tästä helposti lähestyttävästä
tuotoksesta oikein voi olla pitämättä.
(4/5) Antti Kavonen
GLITZINE
Created
in 2002, 'Wolfchild' are a Classic Hard Rock band from
Finland. Their 'Tales of Urban Decadence" EP was
released to rave reviews and a number of gigs and festivals
throughout Finland followed (including opening for Paul
Di'Anno & The Killers). After road testing new material,
'Wolfchild' began recording this new EP in November '04.
The EP 'Toxic' opens with 'Cuts Like A Knife' and kicks
into an impressive piece of instrumentation, and for those
of you out there who love a classic rock guitar solo,
there is a fab one, mid-track. Think "Saxon"
with attitude and you are somewhere close to a where 'Wolfchild'
seem to be coming from. I have to confess I was let down
by 'Gasoline', it has some very talented guitar work,
but I do feel that the vocals let down, what has the potential
to be a great track. If you are in need of a great driving
song, 'Out From The Blues' is the rock ballad for you
(think wide open road with the top down and the wind in
your hair), a gem of a song, great vocal harmonies, drums
and a guitar solo to die for, make it a track well worth
a listen or three.
Need I say more? 'Toxic' is an easy-listening rock EP,
with wonderful instrumentation, and some fantastic vocals.
by Talia Kane
WOLFCHILD:
Toxic
Hyvinkääläisen Wolfchildin laulajakitaristi
Kim Högberg on allekirjoittaneelle tuttu nimi hämeenlinnalaisesta
progemetalli-yhtye Helionista. Högberg on heittänyt
edistyksellisyyden sikseen, sillä uusi yhtyeensä
soittaa rouheaa, 70-lukulaista hard rockia Aerosmithin
ja AC/DC:n hengessä. Youngin veljesten ja Toxic Twinsin
vakuuttavuuteen ei tietenkään päästä
ja kappaleetkin ovat hyvistä soundeista ja kulkevasta
soitosta huolimatta keskitasoa. Peruskama on vaikea rasti,
mutta keikalla puolen yön jälkeen savuisessa
ja kosteassa rock-luolassa Wolfchild menee varmasti täysillä
läpi. Varsinkin kun keikkasettiinsä kuuluu myös
valikoituja kasari-covereita. Ryhmän retro-sointi
voisi periaatteessa miellyttää myös nyky-Hellacoptersin
ystäviä. Wolfchild on parhaillaan valmistelemassa
esikoisalbumiaan.
Mika Penttinen, 02.02.2006
