WOLFSPRING

I have to admit a certain degree of caution when I approached Wolfsping's debut CD, not being a true devotee of 'progressive metal' . With 'eclectic', 'symphonic', 'Canterbury','Jazz rock', 'Krautrock' or 'psychedelic/space rock' I feel as if I know what to expect and what I might like... not so with the 'progressive metal sub-genre' which in the past has landed me with as many 'played once and forgotten' albums as it has real gems - but swayed by the recommendation of a friend and my liking for the recordings of the band Nemo - I'm very glad I gave Wolfspring a listen.

Whilst Jean-Pierre Louveton's new band may be more direct than his excellent Nemo outfit, they still have plenty of elements of 'artrock' or 'symphonic prog' too.

The emphasis in the eight pieces on offer may be more on changes in dynamics rather than rapid shifts in style (as is sometimes the case with Nemo) and the guitar tends to dominate rather than sharing the limelight with the keyboards, but JP's inventiveness and imagination always keep things interesting. Alongside some crunching guitar riffs are delicate acoustic passages (the opening of Train's Gone and Now or Never being good examples) and enough rhythmic shifts to hold the attention throughout.

An album that's full of good musical ideas and great playing - good enough to have me considering dipping some more tentative toes into the pool of 'progressive metal' acts.