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GLASS WOLFE Predator (2006)
Glass Wolfe have been on the go for a good few years now, and this is their second release. Vocalist/ lyricist Maria Glass and keyboardist/ producer Philip Wolfe are working right slap bang in the middle of the traditional power metal genre, with a few nods of the hat to "Stranger In Us All" era Rainbow, which is not an influence you hear every day.
Good stuff first - the music is top notch on most of the album, hitting all the genre requirements fair and square. Helped out by some heavy hitters including Stuart Smith, Neil Citron and Iain Ashley Hersey as well as a few names from Philip Wolfes past - he has played with WASP, Keel, Impellitteri , Rox Diamond, XYZ, Driver, Angel, Vinnie Vincent Invasion and Attakk - it's good, solid metal, with a few of the songs showing a bit more muscle to make themselves worthy of repeat plays.
Now the downside - Maria Glass has a good, if unusual, voice, but some of the arrangements don't really suit her, as her voice works best in a lower register, and some of the high notes just don't get reached. But if you filter in the good tracks - "Take No Prisoners", "Driven" and "Shifting Sands" - you'll find a lot to enjoy, especially if Lana Lane tickles your fancy. But avoid "Children Of The Night" and "Sexecutioner" which are as laboured and sterotypical as their titles suggest.
**½
Review by Stuart A. Hamilton
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