Album Review: Victorious

Impressions/Thoughts:

Wolfmother is an Australian Hard Rock band that that was formed in 2000 and is most well known for their song “Woman” from their self-titled debut album. I became a fan after listening to their third album, New Crown, but that album wasn’t as impressive as this latest album. Had the music business been like what it was when Wolfmother started up, I could have seen many of their songs being big hits on the radio. Wolfmother has this tone in their music that appeals to both the casual rock fan as well as the hardcore hard rock fan.

When I looked up the band, Monster Truck, on iTunes, my search results included their new album Sittin’ Heavy. I then checked the related section and that’s when I learned about Wolfmother’s album, Victorious. By this point, I was already a fan of Wolfmother’s music, but I didn’t know what to expect on this new album. I was pleasantly surprised because it had some hard rock mixed in with some softer tunes.

The Music:

“The Love That You Give” opens up the album with a catchy melodic riff. I like the parts in the song where the riff breaks up in preparation for the chorus.

The next song, “Victorious”, has a faster beat and a heavier riff which sounds more upbeat than the opening track. It’s a catchy song and the drums get to shine when the chorus plays. I like when later in the song the riff changes and the singer says “Don't you ever get tired and feel like giving up?” Then the singer breaks off into a solo which builds up back into the main riff.

The third song, “Baroness”, contrasts the previous song by being slower but none the less catchy. I really like the more distorted guitar sound, which makes the chorus even more catchy and complements the vocals.

The forth song, “Pretty Peggy”, is a slower song that sounds more like a ballad. I like when the vocals have that echo effect when the singer is wailing over the riff. The song itself has a slower melody that makes it stand out from the other songs on the album.  

The following track, “City Lights”, jumps in with a high pitched riff. I think it’s pretty cool when the vocals and riff tradeoff in the chorus. Later in the song, after the chorus, the band goes off into a cool guitar solo that demonstrates their instrumental abilities.

The sixth song, “The Simple Life”, opens with a very interesting heavier riff where you hear the drums and guitar in separate intervals, which then leads into the chorus. Further along in the song the riff changes with a solo playing over the riff, and then goes back into the main riff but with more dimension to it.

The seventh song, “Best of a Bad Situation”, is a much more upbeat song than the previous track. I like the part before the chorus where it almost sounds like clapping. In the upbeat nature of the song, I find myself stomping along with the beat. The song makes you want to sing along to its lyrics. This track can appeal to any type of rock fan and I can definitely see this song being played live.

The eighth song, “Gypsy Caravan”, opens with a more generic riff, but when it transitions into the chorus is when it really hooks you in. I like how the song breaks up and becomes faster later into the song. I think the song would have wide appeal to rock fans and would be a good mood setter for a party or social event.  

The ninth song, “Happy Face”, has a classic “Sabbath like” sound as it starts off slower with a distorted heavier riff. When Andrew Stockdale’s vocals join into the song, he reminds me of Geddy Lee from Rush. I really like the riff and the wailing guitar about halfway through the piece as it solos on top of the riff. The track is simpler than the other songs on the album, as I feel it is more about listening to the riff rather than the vocals.

The closing track of the album, “Eye of the Beholder”, has an added kick to it when the beat follows the drums. The vocals in the chorus soar over the riff adding another dimension to the song. The instrumentals then change into a faster beat, then goes back into the rhythm of the main riff. As the last track on Victorious, it is a good closing piece for the album.

Verdict:

The instrumentals in the songs on the album display true quality in Wolfmother’s music. The combination of the catchy riffs and the singer’s voices create a synergy that appeals to me. Victorious is a great hard rock album with some excellent songs that compose it. If you’re a hard rock fan I suggest you check out this album and the other music by Wolfmother.

Also, I’d just like to point out that this is the first album where Wolfmother actually has a wolf on the album cover.

Top 5 Songs:

1) “Victorious”

2) “Eye of the Beholder”

3) “Gypsy Caravan”

4) “Pretty Peggy”

5) “Best of A Bad situation”

You can follow Wolfmother on Twitter and Facebook, and they're official website is here.