n a matter of fact there are both persons and groups of persons who appear to be cosmopolitans not only to the cultural space but also to the time. Such is the WOLFMARE band founded in 2002 A.D. which successfully combines modern metal riffs with Early Medieval music, and ancient legends with morbid echoes of the shadowy future of the mankind.
rom the very beginning the band has been proving its worth as a great live band, which takes part in each significant folk event in St. Petersburg, Russia. Also they were the special guests at the live shows by FINNTROLL, ENSIFERUM, CRUACHAN, KORPIKLAANI, MOONSORROW, TYR, TIAMAT, AMORPHIS, and BATTLELORE.
lthough the first incarnation of WOLFMARE was principally targeted to the Russian audience, one cannot find a trace of Russian so-called folk music with all that balalaikas-ditties-vodka-and-bear stuff in their songs. It follows from the band members' opinion that “in fact good music is international as the most of ideas were developed many centuries before heavy metal“. So WOLFMARE applies both European and Near East rhythms and harmonies.
he first album by WOLFMARE (as Wolfsangel) called "Widdershins" was released in 2004 by Russian local label FONO. The songs were well-known by the audience, so it is no wonder that it was good selling. Russian media also highly appreciated the album. It was called "the album of the year" on several occasions. As for the genre and style, "Widdershins" can be called a "classic folk metal album with minor influences of black metal".
hile the band worked upon its second album, the music gained some new features, such as the live (i.e. not sampled) fiddle, cello, bagpipes and woodwinds. The number of band members increased, and the live performances became even more spectacular, although WOLFMARE had always paid attention not only to music but also to the show.
he second album called "Whitemare Rhymes" was recorded in 2006. Unlike the first album, this one breaks the style bounds and presents the band’s unique sound that can be described as a mix of folk metal, black metal, doom metal and the 70's classic rock. In 2007 the famous Austrian label CCP Records was interested with the material, and signed the band for 3 albums. Since the early name of the band appeared to be unacceptable to European audience in terms of political correctness (it was a real surprise for the band members that an ancient rune can be interpreted as a forbidden symbol), the current name WOLFMARE appeared.
hitemare Rhymes" collected some positive reviews in European media (Legacy (12/15), Rock Hard (7.5/10), Lords Of Metal (77/100), MetalMessage (7/10), heavymetalcosmos.com (8/10), sleaze-metal.com (8/10), schwermetall.ch (10/13), metalfan.nl (86/100), Gothronic (8.5/10), MetalGlory (7.5/10), heavymusic.ru (10/10), mustdie.ru (8/10), Encyclopaedia Metalium (89/100)), and some major metal zines published the interviews with the band.
hitemare Rhymes" release became a milestone in the WOLFMARE history, since previously local Russian band discovered new audience. In summer 2009 they played live at Hörnerfest 2009 in Brande-Hörnerkirchen, Germany, and fetched the audience. At that venue WOLFMARE presented their new front man, Ruslan Anisimov, Russian growler №1 according to many local zines and their new sound that became groovier.
ow WOLFMARE works upon the third album, that "will be much more epic and heavy that anything one could hear". The release is scheduled on 2010.
Source : http://www.myspace.com/wolfmareband
