Search - Wolverine :: The Window Purpose

Difficult and Cold But Ultimately Rewarding Progressive Meta

The Great Rocky Hill | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 10/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The initial chill had after my first encounter with this "sonic experience" has somewhat worn off, as I discover the beauty of ballad "Leaving Yesterday" and the controlled chaos of "Towards Loss." TWP seems to be very personal: a musically labyrinthine journey of one's life, death, and afterlife. Wolverine remind me of Anacrusis mixed with the delicate touch of Dream Theater and a just a dram of death. The death vocals are jarring and jump out from the shadows at you when least expected ("His Cold Touch" and "Coma" for example). However, cool breezes wash over me when I listen to TWP. Maybe it's the often martial, stiff riffing or the clean vocals which at times seem non-descript. Perhaps the Arctic feel this cd has is intentional given the subject matter. With more personality, TWP may have had more of an impact on me. I can respect the highly introspective and technical work at hand. As with much progressive metal, the musicianship is flawless, and the lyrics are intelligent and philosophical. Upon first listen, I was reminded of my initial discovery of Dream Theater via their "Images And Words" record. I had a strong desire to find this work engrossing but also felt frustrated and ashamed when I found most of it boring and too academic. TWP isn't as aloof as I&W can still be difficult to completely enjoy at times. Perhaps future spins will reveal more, but unlike many prog metal acts, those spins won't be entirely involuntary. Wolverine are originals and have the potential to be a significant and positive influence in their metallic kingdom. I wish them well and hope that they will someday create a sound sculpture that I won't have to work as hard to "understand." With TWP, Wolverine write a novel where one of their peers would choose to pen a thesis."