Originally released in 2001, Swedish prog-metal band Wolverine’s debut album was re-mastered and re-released worldwide last month, with a bonus track, ‘Again!’ (originally found on their demo, ‘Fervent Dream’) and new artwork. The production on this re-release is noticeably clearer, getting rid of the slight tinny sound of the original, and making the guitars in particular sound far stronger in the mix.

Starting out originally as a melodic death metal band, Wolverine moved towards a more progressive style resulting in this, their first full-length album. Many people would run a mile at the phrase ‘concept album’, however the band have managed to avoid descending into pretentiousness - and this album becomes a dark and moving story that works well both lyrically and musically. While the average song length is at least 7 minutes, it never seems too self indulgent, and instead just builds on the dark atmosphere of the album, reflecting the turmoil of the protagonist as he struggles to deal with his demons.

The album starts with a funeral liturgy, an indication of the sombre mood of the album to come. It is the story of a man haunted by abuse suffered at the hands of his father during his childhood. He finds peace for a while in the love of another, but soon his past catches up with him and unable to accept help he is torn apart, attempting suicide. He is finally released into death where he finds peace.

After the quiet and downbeat start to the album, the first proper track begins with a crash of guitars and keyboards, and a touch of harsh vocals during the chorus, which add an aggressive edge to their prog-metal stylings. Harsh vocals are used as a counterpoint to the main vocals on a number of the songs, most notably on ‘Coma’. The atmosphere is not, however, always as grim as is suggested by the subject matter – the duet with Jamina Janssen on ‘Leaving Yesterday’ has an uplifting feel as does the acoustic instrumental ‘Release’. A bonus track on the end of a concept album might have sat very oddly with the rest of the story, however the new track ‘Again!’ is a great addition - a ten minute mini epic about love rediscovered - which fits comfortably within the theme of the album, and sounds great due to being especially re-recorded for this release.

This is not a quick and catchy listen, rather an album that improves with time and effort, offering up something new every sitting. Intricate guitar solos, piano driven interludes and sparingly (but effectively) used harsh vocals (a legacy of their melodic death metal roots), all make for an accomplished and impressive debut album. The improved production and excellent bonus track make this a worthy purchase, even if you already have the original. A must for prog-metal fans.

Standout Tracks:  My Room, Leaving Yesterday, Towards Loss.

Overall Score:   8 /10