It said that there are living legends, but the perception of a legend is a matter of opinion. Every person see an idol as the first line of excellence, others might portray that same person as different and without any special significance. When I first heard about the German ROCK WOLVES, it occurred to me that there might be too many supergroups out there, yet, when I came to find its members in the den, I stopped for a moment and dropped the previous notion on the spot. In general, this band holds more than 80 years of musical experience, each of the members being a part of the Rock / Metal scene for the past 40 years. This is quite an invincible force. So who are they? Michael Voss (MAD MAX / CASANOVA / WOLFPACK / ex-MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK), Hermann Rarebell (ex-SCORPIONS / ex-MSG / MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK) and the latest recruitment Stephan"Gudze" Hinz (H-BLOCKX). Talk about wholesome crew of Rock energies right there in a single fold. Recently the trio released their debut album, which took on the band's name. The signing to SPV / Steamhammer Records appeared logical enough as the label has always been appreciative towards these kinds of efforts.

What is there in this release that is so overwhelmingly unique? To be frank, nothing that hasn't been already served a gazillion times but rather newcomer acts of the age. These guys have been true to their Rock belief. In their own way covering four decades of the music, straying left to right between vintage and modern forms, driven by, what appeared to me, such giants as DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, AC/DC and SCORPIONS. Not dwelling into technical variations, just keeping it undemanding, honest and under the same platter, commercial to breach a few borders in the mainstream. I might add that the band seemed to tread in an Americanized field, at times surveying the AEROSMITH line, but not in a massive extent. After trying it out several times, there were ups and downs, as I am not a fan of that oh so cheesy tryouts to get into a musical world that did more harm to Rock music than good. However, it is nearly impossible to argue that there is good quality in the tunes, a solid base of classic Rock in various shapes and directions.

With memorability and marketability being the name of the game in this album, I was able to root out several level up songs that remained as a pillar. "Nothing's Gonna Bring Me Down" is a demonstration of wonderfully written AOR song, coming across with the decades of Rock, tuneful music that even inspired on several points. Voss' tremendous voice commanded the entire event, displaying his endless abilities as a vocalist. "Surrounded By Fools" a shrapnel of crunch, getting into the thickness of stone cold Rock as the harsher theme is played. It was good to notice the tinder Blues effect on the band with this one, a shot of the DEEP PURPLE mid era. "Out Of Time" issues a heavy AOR sting, a summit of the old and the new, displaying an atmospheric kind of chorus that is almost dreamy. Actually these types of choruses can be tuned on several other tracks as well. "The Lion Is Loose" shows the band's appreciation to AC/DC's straight up Hard Rock legacy. With the cheese left on the side of the road, this one is the major heavier end of the album, catchy yes but restless and wild. "What About Love" was originally written by Jim Vallance and performed in the 80s by HEART, which led them to the charts. The wolves' version was not that far from the hit of the AOR heroes, and it did quite an honor to its original composer.

I think that for a debut album it came out to be a fine result. There is nothing better that to show off that legacy that you have been forming for decades. Minus to the too much meddling in the mainstream, which is my personal debate with myself, give these guys the honor and take a listen.