DANIEL SILVA (5/10)

POWERWOLF is a German Power Metal band notable for its Romanian werewolves themed lyrics, they were formed in 2003 and since then have released a new album every two years, their latest effort, titled "Preachers Of The Night", is set to be released this month.

The album starts with the song "Amen & Attack" an onslaught of jackhammer riffs, finger blistering solos with catchy choruses that sets the tone for the rest of the album that follows the same basic pattern, at a first listen this album made me headbang like crazy and I would have probably have given it a rating of 8 or better, but the more I listened to it, the more I found myself being bored by the sameness of the songs and the shallow quality of the material, none of them have much depth to it which doesn't give "Preachers Of The Night" much longevity, I don't imagine myself listening to it later on.

In conclusion, I wouldn't recommend this album, even though it is obvious that its members have ability in their respective instruments, "Preachers Of The Night" is a quite boring release with superficial songs that can become quite annoying with its Christian themed lyrics.

THE ZARTO (5/10)

Well, this will like you if you are a diehard fan of these wolves, otherwise you will regret listening, not because they are bad or things like that, instead they have a lot of talent and creativity, but this last thing seems to be lost like 3 albums ago, and beside the operatic- religious side... well there's nothing else.

The production is amazing, the voices sound so good, as the riff and solos, the orchestration and atmospheres are beautiful, they really make me feel the church is about to destroy, and surely it has a lot of parts that get into your head, starting with "Amen & Attack", the chorus will get to you, want it or not.

But why is this album another one who will go unnoticed? Just because this is so repetitive that gets bored if you are not a fan, sounds good, but as good as the one before, and the same topic that remembers me when I went to church many years ago, gets bored too, I know this is the identity of the band, but I also know there are many ways to exploit one concept than this.

For the rest: give it a try, as I said, if you're a fan, if not, avoid and try something else, maybe when you get bored and need something full of energy you will find this, but remember the energy also passes by, as the years these guys have been doing this music, the same always.

TUOKSU HOLOPAINEN (8/10)

The long-awaited relish of renewed lycanthropy is finally here and it's as compelling as expected from the German Werewolves of Power Metal. My chronic fixation on the genre (as well as on wolves)  leaves no room for complaining about  "Preachers Of The Night", replete of the instantly-recognizable anthem-like POWERWOLF material.

The opening of the album is familiar, having already seen the haunting "Amen & Attack" music video. This is your typical sing-along POWERWOLF with layered vocals and an overpowering chorus. The same applies to "Secrets Of The Sacristy", one of the best songs they've ever made. In the middle of next track you'd possibly find yourself chanting "Coleus Sanctus!" before you get wolfishly-enchanted by the incredible catchiness of "Sacred & Wild". "Kreuzfeuer" is sung in German, and is somewhat the weakest. "Cardinal Sin" is another song that I would count among Powerwolf's finest stuff to date. The werewolves know how to play perfectly with the catchiest vocal lines, the most impeccable Power Metal and tons of keyboards as well as the regular sinister organ sound. However, I don't really know why I'm still not getting into the "In The Name Of God (Deus Vult)", which sounds a little cheesy to me. The ominous "Nochnoi Dozor" is apparently some kind of a tribute to a film of the same name and sounds quite repetitive. "Lust For Blood" doesn't sound that appealing to me either, still enjoyable though. "Extatum Et Oratum" is another bombastic piece reminiscent of NIGHTWISH's "End of All Hope" for some reason. The closing (and the longest) track "Last Of The Living Dead" stands out with a more solemn feeling and soundscape elements.

"Preachers Of The Night" is a must-get for fellow lycanthropes... I mean POWERWOLF fans, it's anything but disappointing, containing some of the strongest material in the band's history, but still having minor weaknesses and imperfections.