SEASONS OF THE WOLF is a Progressive Metal band formed way back in 1988 in Bradenton, Florida. By 1992, the band had three demos out and their first full-length album came out in the year 1996. By 2007, they had released their fourth album called "Once in a Blue Moon". A compilation called "Anthology" was released in 2014 and "Last Act of Defiance" is their fifth full-length studio album. According to their Facebook page, the band owns and operates Level-D-Green Recording Studio and the Independent Record Label "Earth Mother Music". The album cover art has a three-headed fire-breathing dragon raining havoc on a city and a werewolf character holding a flying V guitar. It literally screams Power Metal. Although the name of the band is a more Death Metal sounding name.

The album starts off with the riff-heavy "Solar Flare" and although the song may seem a little raw, the song is a good start to the album. The NWOBHM influences are very apparent in the track and the vocals are a huge plus. "Take Us To The Stars" is the third track of the album and follows the Power Metal formula. The song takes a while to get off the ground before guitar riffs join the party. "Centuries of Pain" is again slightly slow off the block and takes up almost 30 seconds before it hits its stride. The melody is almost spacey and the riff shores up the song decently. The vocals seem to make an awkward fit in places but the track boasts of a brilliant lead guitar solo that goes off in unexpected directions. "No More Room in Hell" gets to the point from the first note. A Thrash heavy song that is definitely harder than its predecessors, the song slows down considerably in the middle part. A rapid lead guitar solo that also changes tempo at will ushers the song to its frenzied end.

The album has eleven tracks and they make for an incredibly varied record. While the musicians are no doubt talented, this album is only for fans of the band. They will also gain some appreciation from fans of the NWOBHM era. Classic Heavy Metal with a tinge of Thrash Metal thrown in for fans who want the heavier stuff. This album, however, doesn't work for me. While the vocals are competent, they aren't really pushing any boundaries. The guitar work is succulent, especially on the second track "Desert Night Sky" but do not really challenge the set parameters of what a Heavy Metal band can do.Production 6