Wolfmother: Andrew Stockdale (vocals, guitar); Chris Ross (bass guitar); Myles Heskett (drums).
Recording information: 2006.
Devoted students of the 1970s school of heavy rock, the Australian trio Wolfmother unveiled its full-length debut in early 2006 to considerable buzz. Deftly walking the line between respectful homage and blatant mimicry, singer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale sounds like Jack White channeling Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi--as opposed to Page and Plant--particularly on the stomping opener, "Dimension," while the rest of the band ably follows in Sabbath-y suit. Still, Zepp by no means gets short shrift here, as the band pulls off an acoustic-to-electric switch-up on "Where Eagles Have Been" that is more than worthy of a spot on HOUSES OF THE HOLY. Although Wolfmother won't win any points for originality, the group's commitment to executing a seamless cross between two of the best hard-rock bands ever is a fairly tough MO at which to scoff. This is guilt-free headbanging at its finest.
What the critics say...
Rolling Stone (p.57) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[The album] has some of the tastiest fuzz-guitar tones recorded in years, and Jimmy Page-worthy chordal riffing..."
Rolling Stone (p.104) - Ranked #15 in Rolling Stone's "The Top 50 Albums Of 2006" -- "Andrew Stockdale brings Ozzy-Plant screech...[and] the lyrics are true metal poetry."
Spin (p.56) - Ranked #37 in Spin's "The 40 Best Albums of 2006" -- "They balance the tongue-in-cheekiness of their throwback stylings with legitimate tunes."
Entertainment Weekly (p.136) - "[T]hey've got a flashy supply of Page/Plant-level mojo....Wolfmother's ultra-confident tracks could unclog rock radio's weakened arteries." -- Grade: A-
Q (p.117) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he missing link between Black Sabbath and The White Stripes....Immense fun..."
Q (p.117) - Ranked #83 in Q Magazine's "100 Greatest Albums of 2006."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.49) - "13 straight-ahead rock songs that...morph into strange and visionary flights of fancy that tap the touchstones of prog, folk, garage-rock and metal."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.98) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Wolfmother have a canny knack for a tune, as they ably demonstrate on the Kyuss-lite stomp of 'Dimension', the post-Zep groove of 'Tales' and the lilting 'Mind's Eye'..."
