Band: WolfSpring
Band Website: www.myspace.com/wolfspringband
Label: ProgRock Records
Label Website: www.progrockrecords.com
Release Date: 2010
Take two members from the established French prog band Nemo and add two new members and you get WolfSpring. This is
a band created by Nemo guitarist and vocalist Jean-Pierre Louveton who enlisted Nemo keyboardist Guillaume Fontaine and newcomers
Julian Clemens (vocals) and Ludovic Moro-Sibilot (drums). Together you have the unique and thoroughly modern sound of WolfSpring that
has one foot fully in the classic symphonic prog style and the other foot in a variety of modern sounds. Their concept CD is about
the fall of a society built upon greed where the individual has become trampled upon and in the process lost their own identity. That
got me hooked.
This self-titled CD features eight-tracks and gets underway with “The Haunting” [6:28] that begins with a slow,
soft introduction on acoustic guitar which builds quickly into a grand flourish only to subside to allow the vocals to take centre
stage. The sound is rich and lush with keyboards providing warm layers of symphonics to highlight first the acoustic guitar and then
later the more aggressive lead guitars. WolfSpring’s compositions are constantly shifting in time and tempo or texture and yet it’s
accomplished with amazing dexterity and subtly. The sound is a refinement of modern symphonic prog with a hit of aggressiveness. Heavily
filtered voice tracks are layered on top of searing guitar lines all playing on the feel of the title of the first track. The track
“Carpathian Wolves” [4:57] is one of two instrumentals and this one’s an aggressive rocker that plays through some excellent riffs
and melodies. In contrast “Train’s Gone” [7:19] starts off with ringing acoustic guitars and layered vocal harmonies. It isn’t until
half way through that the song heads into more aggressive territory. Each of these tracks has something special to offer; a building
melody line here or a catchy riff there. The CD’s closer “Our New Mediaevil World” [12:25] provides a little bit of everything from
crunchy guitar to heavenly choirs.
WolfSpring have delivered a great set of tunes here, most of which are longer allowing for
lots of musicianship to be on display. And while there is a hint of moodiness to the proceedings it never gets overly gloomy. Symphonic
elements pop up here and there in more places than one might expect. I’m guessing this disc will have wide appeal; from fans of bands
like Porcupine Tree to the Flower Kings. Check it out, it gets my recommendation.
