Wolf of God: Album Review

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.




Saucey Mac and Cheese to Relieve Mid-Semester Blues

By Garrett Kelly, Staff Writer

Photo Source // Garrett Kelly

Looking to up your comfort food game? Kraft just not fulfilling your deep-seated craving for quality mac and cheese? You might be looking for this very recipe. Importantly, this is simple enough that you can make it with just a few kitchen essentials; hopefully perfect for those dorm kitchens. 

Serves 4 (Or you and three small tupperware).

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Equipment needed:

Large pot

Pan

Medium saucepan

Whisk or stirring spoon

Measuring cup

Paring knife

Vegetable knife

Cutting surface

Strainer

Ingredients: 

6 cups water

8 ounce macaroni

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¾ cup milk

1 & ½ to 2 cups shredded cheddar

1-2 fresh jalapenos

⅔ cup green onions

4-7 strips of bacon (to preference)

Salt

Pepper

Mustard Powder

(Season salt, available at most grocers, is not required but is highly recommended.)

First up is food prep. Remove the seeds from your fresh jalapenos. The easiest way to do this is to remove the stem, slice it down the middle length-wise, and scrape out the seeds with your paring knife. Removing the seeds is optional, but seeds in will make for a seriously spicier final product. Finely chop the green onion and jalapeno until you’re satisfied with the size of your chunks and you have sufficiently relieved your second-quarter stress. 

Place a pan on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, feel free to start throwing bacon on. You’re going to be keeping an eye on the bacon as you work on what’s next. Let it cook for 8-12 minutes until appropriately crispy. 

Alternatively, if you find it easier, you can preheat your oven to 400 degrees, place the bacon on a well oiled baking sheet (or baking sheet with a wire rack. Without a wire rack, oven bacon will be a bit chewier). You’ll want to use a neutral flavored oil, like canola if you go this route. Let cook for up to 20 minutes, but be careful, you won’t want this to burn so start checking after around 15 minutes. I would actually recommend going this route if you can, but it is slightly more supply intensive. Oven cooked bacon on a wire rack will leave you with some nice, crispy bits that’ll crumble perfectly into your sauce later on. 

Next up, we’re gonna get to work on the mac part of this mac and cheese. Add six cups of water to a large pot and bring it to a boil. Optionally, feel free to add onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to the water as it boils. When the pot is boiling, add your eight ounces of macaroni. Let the pasta cook for up to 10 minutes but keep an eye on it, you want the noodles to be al dente. This is pretty simple but its important to watch it as you work on the rest of the meal.

Next we’re gonna start working on a roux. Melt your two tablespoons of butter, then add it and your two tablespoons of flour to a medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk or stir the roux gently until you’re left with a cohesive mixture. Avoid stirring too fast or too little or the flour might coagulate, leaving you with clumps that won’t mix well.

As soon as your roux is nice and smooth, add one cup heavy whipping cream and ¾ cup of milk. Reduce heat to medium-low, add pepper, salt and mustard powder, then whisk. Once the mixture has cooled off a little, add 1½ to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, your chopped vegetables, and crumble the bacon into small chunks as you add it to the sauce. Once all the ingredients are added, you’ll want to reduce the heat to low, and bring the sauce to a simmer. If you have it, add season salt to taste at this point. Mix thoroughly until evenly melted and distributed, then combine with pasta, mix thoroughly and serve!

This is a pretty straightforward recipe but there are plenty of areas for experimentation. Try a different mixture of cheeses, but keep in mind that aged cheeses don’t melt the same way as the highly processed stuff, so you’d want a combination of young and old cheese. Substitute bacon or the vegetables as you see fit. I recommend sharing this dish with friends, or even making them help you cook as it’s a lot easier with two sets of hands. If you get tired of heading over to the caf, I hope you give this recipe a shot. Food made with your own hands almost always tastes better, and cooking can be a great way to relax if you find yourself enjoying it!