ALBUM REVIEW: Wolfnaut – Return of the Asteroid

3.5 rating
Wolfnaut - Return of the Asteroid

After last year’s release of the aptly named III, Norwegian stoner rock trio Wolfnaut have returned with the release of their fourth album, Return of the Asteroid. This marks the band’s first album with US-based independent label Ripple Music. It’s heavy, melodic, and thought-provoking—essentially everything you might expect from such veterans of their genre as Wolfnaut, who have been making waves in the stoner rock scene in their home country since the mid-90s.

Return of the Asteroid opens with the stomping rhythm of ‘Brother of the Badlands’. It’s a heavy track that drives and energises yet isn’t so brutal as to be overpowering. There’s complexity here, too, setting the tone for the rest of the album. Following up is ‘My Orbit is Mine’, introduced with a killer riff, which features throughout. There’s also a certain catchiness to how the lyrics have been woven into the song. A short but sweet solo towards the end projects even more energy and rounds out a satisfyingly fun track.

‘The Mighty Pawns’ is the second part of a three-part song cycle that began with the track ‘Wolfnaut’ from the band’s previous album. The pieces fit together to tell the story of an isolated individual drifting through outer space. The song is once again heavy, but this time it’s as atmospheric as it is powerful. It’s beautifully interpolated by slower, more reflective, melodic sections. ‘Crash yer Asteroid’, as you might guess from the name, is an intense firefight of a song featuring powerful fuzzy riffs, furious cries, and pounding drums.

To regain a little composure, the next song, ‘Arrows’, is a gentler ballad. ‘Arrows’ is an interesting song for a couple of reasons. First, it’s the band’s first-ever released ballad. It also happens to be a stripped-down version of a previously released version of the same song from Wolfnaut’s second album. Then comes ‘G.T.R.’—a full-power, frenetic blast about withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan. It’s an energetic song, and it’s catchy, too. Then, ‘Something More Than Night’ is another heavy song incorporating nice licks that instantly stick in your head.

Return of the Asteroid’s penultimate track, ‘Crates of Doom’, is another war-themed track, this time about Ukraine. The words certainly have meaning and relevance but can feel a little forced together, especially during the quieter sections of the song. The sound, though, is as powerful as ever.

Remember that three-part song cycle mentioned earlier? Well, the album’s closing song, ‘Lament’, is the concluding piece of the story. It’s a monstrous 10-minute epic that summarises all that Wolfnaut are capable of. There’s plenty of atmosphere here, yet effects aren’t necessary—the guitars and bass provide thunder, and the vocals are lightning. It’s exceptional as both an ending to a story, an album, and a listening experience.

Return of the Asteroid was recorded live in the studio in one take, which has resulted in an album with a raw and intimate feel—something that can sometimes be absent in studio-recorded albums. Wolfnaut’s chemistry is evident throughout the album, and you wouldn’t need to know the band’s history to realise that they’ve been involved in the scene for a while. While Return of the Asteroid might not quite meet the bar set by last year’s outstanding III, it’s a more-than-solid album that’s thoroughly deserving of a place in any stoner rock fan’s collection.

Xsnoize Author
Sam Williams 11 Articles
Sam Williams was born in the UK but has lived the best part of the last ten years in Taipei. There, he spends much of his free time floating between the city’s live music bars and trying not to drink excessive quantities of bubble tea (the weight gain is real). When not out and about, he writes and edits for a local English magazine, which requires him to be a stickler for good grammar, though he’s admittedly not immune to the occasional slip-up. His taste in music could best be described as eclectic, but if pushed would probably say his favourite genres are blues, grunge, trip-hop, and various forms of rock.

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