LORD VOLTURE – Never Cry Wolf

Lord Volture is back with their independent sophomore release, Never Cry Wolf, an incredibly intense thrill ride of Power and Thrash Metal. Like their first album, Beast Of Thunder, released in 2010 this album is filled with high energy vocals and lightning fast guitar riffs. Their sound is indicative of the NWOBHM style, incorporated with a dose of Iced Earth Power Metal techniques. It’s fast, raucous, and loud; just what every Metal head needs!

The brainchild of Lord Volture is vocalist David Marcelis. He is the main songwriter, and leader of the band. Marcelis has a very distinctive singing style. He puts 110% of pure aggression into all of his songs. His broad range provides the opportunity to write a very diverse selection of music. There are songs on Never Cry Wolf that vary from mainstream rockers to forceful Thrash pieces. Although it is evident Marcelis will never win any singing competitions with his voice-cracking, slightly off key screams, he is able to captivate the listener with his brash and bold “in your face” vocals. If he were to be compared to anyone, it would most likely be Matt Barlow, Blaze Bayley, and Ripper Owens all mixed together, and on steroids.

Regarding the songs on Never Cry Wolf, there is a significant amount of talent both in the songwriting and performance. The songs are obviously written with Marcelis’ vocals as the centerpiece. Additionally, they are well composed and arranged; and provide the listener with a different set of emotions during each track. One of the more intriguing tracks on the album is the final song on the album “The Wolf At Your Door”. This song begins with an Iced Earth style melancholy introduction which segues into a fast and fiery Power Metal rouse which stretches Marcelis’ vocal ability to its limits and beyond. This is one of those songs that you want to listen to over and over again simply because it invokes so much passion and it resembles a Metal classic.

There are many similarities heard on Never Cry Wolf which bear resemblance to some of the great classic Metal albums of all time. Infectious riffs and melodies, strong vocals, and amazing songs are the recipe of success for this album. The only thing lacking for Lord Volture is a strong fan base. The music produced on Never Cry Wolf can easily stand up to some of the biggest Metal acts in the business, and deserves much more recognition.

End to end, Never Cry Wolf is a stellar album. It has everything any Metal fan could ask. They cover multiple genres, and manufacture a high quality performance. Their energy and vitality engage the listener. Hopefully these guys will be around for a very long time.