Embracing change is a good thing, even if it is rarely the easy thing. The whole idea of “change” in and of itself demands you abandon the comfort of predictability and stability, to reach out beyond the walls of your safe zone and explore new possibilities – all without any guarantee that the new seeds you sow will bear any fruit. Change is exhilarating, and it’s terrifying. It offers the potential for anything and yet promises absolutely nothing.

On the flip side, the status quo can be pretty dope! Why go to the effort of reinventing yourself? Who the hell are you trying to impress?? It’s sooooo much easier to just kick back, relax, and enjoy the comforts of familiar and routine, like slipping in to a well-worn pair of slippers at the end of the day. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it… right? Right.

What has made recent work from Finland’s sons of might and morose, Wolfheart so compelling has been their ability to strike a really tricky balance of both embracing some pretty significant changes, while still remaining steadfastly true to a sound they’ve been riding for nearly a decade now (something they’ve done much to their own detriment for stretches of their career, if I’m honest). 2020’s Wolves of Karellia really marked a reinvigoration for the band, who had previously slogged through two releases in 2017’s Tyhjyysiivgglehhhhaahhyyyynyyy (I may have added a few extra keyboard smashes there I apologize) and the way-too-hot-on-its-heels Constellations of the Black Light which, aside from a couple bright spots (“Boneyard,” “Valkyrie”), felt to me like the less-interesting dregs of creative juice left over from the successes of Shadow World and debut Winterborn. It was linear proof that creativity requires space to breathe and grow, and that “more” doesn’t always mean “better.” Wolves… suggested that the band (namely, mastermind Tuomas Saukkonen) had taken enough time away to maybe just stop thinking about Wolfheart a lil bit, and came back with a renewed sense of excitement and vigor for the project. These weren’t wholesale changes here, just a noticeable uptick in energy and vibrance that felt severely lacking.

Then Kings of the North came, armed with a new guitarist in Vagelis Karzis (Rotting Christ session collaborator), who also brought an even more significant addition – a set of clean vocals that suddenly gave Wolfheart a whole new dimension and depth, allowing the band to play more with song structure and progression than they ever had, serving as a perfect balance to Saukkonen’s signature brand of attack-heavy, muscular melodeath. The impact was immediate and profound, potentially setting the tone for a whole new era of Wolfheart that, to these ears, made them the new kings of Finnish Melodeath.

Of course, this sets absolutely Ludicrous levels of expectations where now any lack of continued innovation and forward-thinking will be met with complete and utter disappointment. Look, I don’t make the rules, I’m just slave to them same as you and everyone else, so keep that in mind as I try to help you understand how Draconian Darkness in truth really is a freaking awesome record, even though it took me longer than expected to get there.

In the simplest terms, the biggest difference between King of the North and Draconian Darkness is the sense of occasion that the predecessor created, as if Wolfheart set out to let listeners know right away that King… was was going to be unlike any listening experience fans had heard from the band before. They came right out the gate with the epic “Skyforger” that introduced the world to Wolfheart with clean vocals, and followed it up immediately with a guest appearance by Killswitch Engage‘s Jesse David Leach on “Ancestor,” easily the band’s most widely-appealing track to date (don’t dare take that as an insult, it’s a banger).

 

By contrast, Draconian Darkness feels more like a band settling into a really good rhythm, making minor tweaks and adjustments to perfect their sound. Nothing is necessarily going to come right out and make you take instant notice, and the immediate impact is less profound. That said,  there’s a sense of confidence that bursts through the speakers with the huge, honkin’ chorus of opener “Ancient Cold” that comes from a band comfortable with the formula they’re working with, getting to the point without unnecessary fluff or delay. To that end, we see Wolfheart trend further away from the more self-indulgent track times of prior records, hitting listeners with a much more concise, focused delivery that for the first time doesn’t see a single track break the 6 minute mark (in fact, only two break the 5 minute barrier). That more focused effort manifests further on second track “Evenfall,” which whittles away to find those more nuanced perfections even more, showing you can still deliver a big, epic chorus without necessarily having to deploy clean vocals, showcasing the band’s ability to stay flexible with their delivery while still achieving similar results.

While we’re talking about those cleans though, I think it’s worth noting that while the band has certainly embraced them as an effective part of their repertoire, Wolfheart hasn’t fallen into the trap of overuse. They’re an element the band uses to mark emotional high and low points, such as with the majestic as fuck “Scion of The Flame” that really achieves both sides of that particular coin, pairing the cleans with the band’s increased use of orchestral elements to achieve huge, cinematic passages worthy of a $75 movie ticket (or whatever the hell ludicrous amount it costs to go to a theater these days). Saukkonen has never been shy with his use of piano and other instrumentals to create atmosphere and mood, but the elevated strings help to balance his and Karzis’ muscular riffing, each element helping to take the other to a higher level than they would left on their own. Closer “The Gale” is another shining example of the balance Wolfheart has been able to achieve, combining waves of aggressive riffs with emotive swells of orchestrations and acoustic passages that all come together to create an all-encompassing and complex track that hits all the right notes.

But that Saukkonen and Karzis would make for the scariest linebacker duo in the NFL if they were to step on a field, is indicative to what has always set Wolfheart apart from their peers, and it’s the strong-man, mammoth riffs they’re capable of tearing out, particularly when they break out the furious tremolo picking of “Burning Sky” and “Grave” that sound like being left in the wilderness in the middle of a raging storm. But even those moments of intensity are still delivered with incredible complexity, layered with brilliant, contrasting melodies (particularly on “Burning Sky”) that are full of bravado and vigor, enough to make you consider abandoning modern life to join a pack of wolves and challenge the Alpha dog with your bare hands for leadership. You’ll certainly be killed, BUT WHAT A WAY TO GO OUT. On the flip side is Saukkonen’s ability to chug with the best of them, with highlights like “Throne of Bones” bringing formidable levels of heft to the table. And credit to the footwork of drummer Joonas Kauppinen, who delivers a Tomas Haake (Meshuggah) level performance keeping his double bass on time with the fretwork. Just stellar performances all around from a group of musicians at the top of their game.

So like, yeah, I just spent the last three paragraphs being pretty dang generous with compliments for Draconian Darkness so, it’s probably fair to ask yourself why I mentioned it took me a while really find my appreciation for its greatness. The thing is, Wolfheart’s last two albums were both just such fresh breaths of air that it was nearly impossible not to find instant gratification and get wrapped up in their charms from first listen.

Having that in mind, Draconian Darkness just doesn’t have that immediate impact. You might even come away from the first couple of listens thinking “okay, they just did King of the North again” and, in some ways, they sorta did. But what’s wrong with that? Like countrymates Amorphis have been doing for a long time now, this album is confirmation that Wolfheart may have found a formula that could carry them on a similar run of consistency and success for years to come, and we should be so fortunate to keep getting albums like this. I know I’m not gonna be the guy to be ungrateful about it.

 

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