By: Armando Covarrubias: Writer, Cartoonist
Halloween is almost here and many of you are probably needing some music for your Halloween party, or just need something to listen to now. For this, I recommend an album by a German power metal band Powerwolf and their album “Lupus Dei.” This is Powerwolf's second album recorded in January 2007 and released on May 1, 2007. The album itself has eleven songs. What makes this album unique is that it has a story. According to Matthew Greywolf (Benjamin Buss) on an interview with Lords of Metal in May 2007, “Well, generally 'Lupus Dei' is focussed on parables taken out of the Bible and set in context to our passion for metal. Finally it had turned out being a real concept album with the wolf himself as the protagonist. In the Introduction to the album he loses faith in good and descends to the evil. He doesn't believe in anything but blood anymore ("In blood we trust") – but during the album he realizes the light of God step by step and finally in the title track he experiences God.”
From this quote the album’s story begins makes more sense. This is not just a compilation of songs with a similar theme, it’s a compilation of songs that tell a story. It is also important to mention the second, and more prominent themes in the song besides werewolves: the theme of Catholicism. Whether you are a devout Christian, a moderate believer, or a non believer, one can not deny the effect Christianity has on the media such as books, tv shows, movies, games, and music. Unlike most other Christian artists, Powerwolf doesn’t focus its music on praise and worship, at least in a orthodox manner. It focuses less on the teachings of Christ and more of the dark and violent side of the Bible and Christianity as a whole. Examples include Werewolves, demons, angels, crusaders, conquistadors, vampires, satanism, evangelists, saints, Latin chants and more.
The title of the album, Lupus Dei, is Latin for Wolf of God. The album Title is thought to be a reference to the trial of Thiess of Kaltenbrun. He was a Livonian man who lived in Jürgensburg, Swedish Livonia. In 1692 he publicly admitted to being a werewolf, but he states that he goes to hell to fight the demons, witches, and wizards of hell along with other werewolves. Claiming that they were “the hounds of God.” He was not executed but was banished. The story itself is only a reference to the title not the story of the album. With that said here are some songs from the album I recommend:
“We Take It From the Living”- This song has a beautiful melody and wonderful lyrics as the song ask you questions such as, “Are you guided by the Bible?” Or, “Would your die for, Heavy metal?”
“Prayer In The Dark”- One of their most popular songs on this album, it is also the first song on the album to feature Latin, and it gives me chills every time I listen to it.
“Mother Mary Is A Bird Of Prey”-Easily one of the most confusing songs in this album, if not the most confusing song they have ever made, this song has beautiful verses that start at a medium pace only to get really fast with the chorus. To this day I still don’t understand what they mean that Mother Mary is a bird of prey.
“Lupus Dei”-Out of all of the songs on the album this one is my favorite. This is the song that makes me wake up in the morning knowing that I have never been abandoned and that God still loves me. It starts with the sound of church bells ringing (which I often mistake for the chapel’s bells) and then to the soothing sound of Latin, to comfort you. Then it explodes in a loud but slow sound while Latin is still being spoken. Then at the halfway point Latin becomes English and the song becomes faster. At the end of it all a disembodied voice speaks the Lord’s Prayer in Latin and then in Latin says “For thine is Kingdom, The power and the glory forever and ever.” It ends with Amen.
These are just a few of my favorite songs, but there are more you can discover. I hope this helped spice up your Halloween party, or not. Everyone is subjective. If your not a metal fan a least you learned something about a band you probably wouldn’t have known about otherwise.