Concert review: Wolfmother at the House of Blues (October 29)

by Justin Press of Justin Press: Dallas Rock Music Examiner

Like the land that they dwell, Australia’s Wolfmother is a brash and raw outfit capable of destroying a man’s soul and ripping his head to shreds, but in the finest of manners. Lead singer, guitarist, and mastermind Andrew Stockdale, after taking a well due break after the band’s debut and crushing road schedule, re-assembled a new slew of players and has now evoked the ghosts of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple circa 1973. This new ‘Mother is a fire-breathing beast and with the addition of a second guitarist and keyboards/organ, their sound is thick bottom end with space for creative improvisation.

Opening with the three-pronged punch of “Dimension,” “Cosmic Egg,” and “California Queen,” the band announced its new album Cosmic Egg with full aplomb. The sound was dense and hard-driving, and with a light show worthy of a stadium gig, Wolfmother showed a packed House of Blues that they are only a record or two away from being up there with their motherland mentors, AC/DC (who incidentally are in Dallas on Monday; that is a ton of Power from Down Under for one city). The latest single, “New Moon Rising,” paved the way for the track that put the band on the map, "Woman," a skittish metal homage to all things shapely. The chest thumping “Colossal” had the kind of wallop that Tony Iommi built his legend upon and Stockdale is every bit as thunderous, plus the guy has vocal prowess for miles. Cosmic Egg takes the self-titled debut and turns it on its head with “Sundial” and “10,000 Feet” churning and cutting through the din of smoke, sweat, and weed. As for the crowd, a mixed bag of new-wavers, metal heads, and stoners, all had their hair parted from one side to the next especially on a track like "White Unicorn" as the monsoon that this four-piece generated was perilous for those with cracked eardrums.

Proof positive that a killer live band whose pedigree is no-nonsense, metallic rock with a menacing groove is all it takes to make you believe in the power of music. Others may need a space ship and football stadiums to prove their vitality, but like their other Aussie brethren, Angus and Malcolm, all it really takes is kick-ass gusto and two fistfuls of pure rock and roll. Wolfmother is indeed the leader of the pack.