A band that definitely took me by surprise this year, Nightwolf is a Brazilian power/thrash act with some serious merit. Frontman Jack Znake has an absolute siren for a voice, It’s remarkable. When he reaches into the highs I’m definitely reminded of Rob Halford at his mightiest. Not only that, but the dueling guitars of Adam Hessen and Rafael Roan are downright dazzling. Even if the structure might sound a bit dated (that’s the point, It’s classic metal very close to the realms of Painkiller and Jugulator when Priest pummeled their loudest) as soon as you hear these electrifying solos, you’re going to take notice immediately. These guys rip the floor with just how damn good they are.
In a scene so plagued with deathcore mannerisms, It’s good to see the sounds of classic metal coming from other countries like Brazil and Chile for example. These countries are trying to remind us of how metal used to sound, compared to the “brutality for brutality’s sake” meanderings we have today. Long ago, metal had a sound and structure that many found amazing. Larger than life titans would belt out highs that could reach the Heavens and guitars did more than play to crazy time signatures. That’s what Nightwolf have attempted to capture here and hopefully they’ll become a household name in the genre.
