I first came across POWERWOLF's name in 2005, listening to their interesting take on ARMORED SAINT's March Of The Saint classic in Metal Blade's Rrrooooaaaarrrr sampler disc, following the label's same-titled 10th anniversary Party in Stuttgart, Germany. A band carrying some identity, finally, whether you end up liking them or not; their 2007 album, Lupus Dei, receiver more than positive reviews worldwide and now it's time for the German act's third offering, named Bible Of The Beast.
If 2005's Return In Bloodred debut was somewhere between Heavy and Doom Metal and Lupus Dei provided something more in the 'fresh' Power Metal style with a romantic/folk touch, now it's Bible Of The Beast putting forward all of the abovementioned facts (cutting more of the slow-paced elements, now thinking again) plus a tendency to create a more church/spooky atmosphere or use endless choir/epic vocals (25 classically educated singers of a national conservatory for classical music sang choir arrangements on eight of the songs) to meet the music's cinemascope requirements. Something you cannot miss is that POWERWOLF sounds furious in this album. Sometimes they do lack consciousness, in my humble opinion, but the really play as there's no border - and I'm not referring to tempos or something like this. Labeling them as another Power Metal band is a sin. POWERWOLF step on both the European current Metal standards and vibes from the long gone past (not music wise).
They may bring in mind the gospels of BLIND GUARDIAN, the grim elite of FALCONER, the armory of AMON AMARTH, the conquest of RUNNING WILD and the Teutonic metallum of GAMMA RAY. But - again said - Bible Of The Devil is not an easy-to-listen-to Metal album for the mainstream or in-your-face audience. Many songs off this new tracklist could serve as soundtracks to horror or piratical or battlefield or historic movies/scripts. The instrumentation is of maximum level, the band uses again their familiar organ, Attila's vocals are pomp-er than ever and the overall summary can label the album as nothing less than...
...interesting, the least. Whether you'll end up falling in love with this one or not, truth is Bible Of The Beast does not suffer from any major drawbacks, does have a variety in the songwriting (the lead guitar themes are really fine!), possesses a spooky atmosphere, becomes over-lyric at times but does endorse its straightforward moments...what else? Grab the chance to - at least - check a couple of songs at first, but I have the impression that the quality word fits in this 2009 release. Lovers of the band's previous album shall proceed in no fear.

P.S.1: Ah, check the songtitles, too, and raise your fists. Panic In The Pentagram? Catholic In The Morning...Satanist At Night? St. Satan's Day? Make our day!
P.S.2: I have recognized over the past years, that many Metal bands write lyrics about the Devil or Satan considering this as anti-christian. In fact, history tells a different truth: If we look at the Old Testament or the Book of Revelation in the New Testament, we realize that the devil is an invention of monotheistic religious concepts that needed to add darkness where they had created light. Not satanists invented the devil - it was the christians who did, and therefore no one can believe in God without believing in the devil at the same time, and vice versa. Thus most of the songs on Bible Of The Beast are based on the appearances of the beast in the bible - Attila Dorn.