When I first heard this new term Spirit Metal, I was rather interested to find out what was it all about. The only info I could gather led me to the new release of the German Metal group, WOLVESPIRIT. To say that their music fit the profile of a so called spirit Metal or spiritual Metal, made me wonder a bit. It seemed as if this group was pursuing a sort of a new gimmick that will lead them, yet, it is hard to determine. Spiritual Metal or not, this is how they called it and even endless arguments won't reveal why in the world they went on with it.

"Spirit Metal"'s musical direction, the band's debut album via the Greek Sleaszy Rider Records, seemed to be mostly based on music from the first stages of Metal / Hard Rock of the 70s, something like DEEP PURPLE and BLACK SABBATH. However, you can always compare their current modern elements with the melodious and groove aspects of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and OZZY OSBOURNE. In general, this sort of obscurity is a nice twist between modernity and vintage with a little angelic / stony like atmosphere.

However, with WOLVESPIRIT's attempts of innovation, I can't say that they made a full scale hitter. "Spirit Metal" has good foundations that will insure the continuance of something new, yet, no more than that. To tell you the truth, some portions of this material just didn't produce any interest or enthusiasm from me.  Even that most of the material was quite solid and showed great aspects of fine heavy chunky grooves / rhythms, amazing Hammond cloud and great Tony Iommi / Zakk Wylde kind of dramatic solos, I only found the closing track, "Home" as the best of what this band had to give and this is a ballad I am talking about. What was funny was that with a slight dip of distortion or a little heavy passage, it would have given the new term of Spirit Metal a fightful image. Furthermore, this track was the band's vocalist, Debbie, greatest work. I don't know why but here singing on the other songs was pretty average to me. Something in her voice pattern, which was like a distorted version of the young Finnish star Ari Koivunen, annoyed me on several sections.

Don't get me wrong, "Spirit Metal" is not a bad effort and it even opened a few closed boarders between the 70s and Modern Metal. I would also recommend, even if in lesser rating, the thespian "Hero", flowing "Release" and the joint growl / clean vocal effort on "Light And Shadow". New definition or not, this is a Metal album and that is the most important thing. I appreciate WOLVESPIRIT's efforts on trying to reach new horizons and they did it quite nicely. "Spirit Metal" is fine prospect for a good future. If this band will continue this groovy line with the support of the 70s, their second release would blast a few more doors on the way.