Album Review: Wolfmother ‘Victorious’
Last week multi-platinum album selling Aussie rockers Wolfmother released their fourth full-length studio album ‘Victorious’. Essentially the band has become a solo vehicle for Andrew Stockdale (he remains the only founding member) playing all guitars and basses, with hired studio drummers Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Bruce Springsteen) and Joey Warner (Beck, REM). Recorded with multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Chris Cornell), the follow-up to 2014’s ‘New Crown’ is flawed, but still enjoyable.
The album kicks off on The Love That You Give with a driving over the top stoner riff that has a decent whiff of 70s rock. It’s full of meaty riffs and bounces along with a chugging momentum. It’s classic Wolfmother, but it’s not delivered with any sense of urgency. Next is Gypsy Caravan and it’s a fuzzed out track that is laced with bits of Black Sabbath. It showcases massive organ chords that blitz a manically throbbing bassline as Stockdale’s voice roars over it. Its stoner rock drone is surely going to be the one that’ll burst eardrums live.
“City Lights is arguably the album’s best and most energetic track and it’s a beezer with all the speed and tone changes that made Stockdale as highly regarded an axeman that he is.”
Title track Victorious works well enough to warrant attention. The track is full of the expected chunky guitar riffs and slamming snare fills, but victory isn’t secured. The ‘rock gone pop’ flavour of the track is all too nice and predictable. It’s simply a shameless 80s rock homage. Worse yet is Best Of A Bad Situation, which can only be described as Bon Jovi-esque with its cheesy chorus, massively amplified hand-claps, and lazy chord progression. Though Stockdale’s vocals are excellent, the acoustic guitar riffs are ripped straight from Rod Stewart’s Every Picture Tells A Story.
City Lights is arguably the album’s best and most energetic track and it’s a beezer with all the speed and tone changes that made Stockdale as highly regarded an axeman that he is. It’s complete with twisting dual guitar solos and a catchy melody. Stockdale yanks the reins toward Cheap Trick-esque power-pop, with winning results. And though the final track Eye Of The Beholder is a forgettable acid-rock filler, it doesn’t ruin the effect that the tail end of the record had been setting up. The sheer heaviness in the instrumental attack makes the monotony less apparent.
‘Victorious’ unfortunately falls short of the mark but still delivers some solid tracks. Stockdale is less successful when he tries to introduce a little variety and is lost in half-baked songs. He needs a real band, not hired hands. Maybe even call up founding members Myles Heskett and Chris Ross? That’s the turn that would make Wolfmother truly victorious.
