This is certainly not the first time I run into a non-English Metal band (meaning conveying their lyrics in English). I had my experiences with songs in Polish, German, Hungarian, Serbian, Hebrew and Spanish, but this is the first time I am reviewing a release in French. What made me even gladder is that the first French singing band I review is an old school driven Heavy Metal fan.WOLF'S GANG, newly signed to their local Emanes Metal Records, came up with their first debut, "Apocalypse", not a while ago and as I mentioned this is classic Heavy Metal.

Even without overly concentrating on their 80s oriented sound, WOLF'S GANG is what NWOBHM and IRON MAIDEN are all about. In one hand there is the melodic nature and on the other hand there is a sense of productiveness that was shaped through the MAIDENish manner of their tracks. To be exact, the entire album sounds like a compilation of early and mid 80s IRON MAIDEN, especially when it comes to the sounds, riffs and a large portion of the solos. Yet there have been also blinks towards other aspects of the far regions of later era of NWOBHM and traditional American Metal. I guarantee that fans of the older IRON MAIDEN will have a blast over this album even if French isn't their prime language.

However, WOLF'S GANG's closeness to IRON MAIDEN also proved to me that maybe this is where they stopped going forward. It is hard for me to call this release a MAIDEN imitator because there is a source of creativeness that made this release quite enjoyable. It is correct that it also showed some of IRON MAIDEN's key moments like the opening song "Crash", that in overall was not that impressive, but it showed almost identical refined version of "Phantom Of The Opera", however, the vocal section said otherwise as it was no Dickinson, Bayley or Dianno in the front or even something that resembles. Some would probably say it was like planting a different vocal pattern into IRON MAIDEN, pretty much the same case with the Russian ARIA. Maybe it is right but in the end, it didn't stop this release from being good though not too original when it comes to its conception.

My favorite tracks, "Mon Combat (My Fight)", "Gènocide (Genocide)", "Apocalypse" and "Marèchal De Fer (Iron Marshal)" gave me additional proofs why I like old school Metal, IRON MAIDEN and NWOBHM. The fact that where most of the Metal bands' origins didn't situate itself in front of me this time but rather the aura within the rhythms, vocals and sound. I believe that WOLF'S GANG has a lot of talent. Playing those kinds of complex rhythms along with making great melodies and crushing solos isn't that simple. However, in general, it would be great if they would lay their own signature one day.