Playful, dynamic and beautiful as the rabbit on the cover artwork

Hoochie Koo is the thirteenth studio album by Japanese rock and metal trio Ningen Isu. It's the second release in the group's most consistent line-up that still exists as I'm writing this review.

The album includes important participations from each member, both musically and vocally. Opener ''Raijin'' is a gloomy, heavy and raw tune that impresses with bassist Suzuki Kenichi's throaty vocals. Up next, ''Nijuuichi Seiki No Hoochie Koo'' features guitarist Wajima Shinji's more epic, melodic and story-telling vocals as the instrumentation is also more diversified, playful and uplifting. Drummer Nakajima Nobu performs lead vocals on the third song ''Rock 'N' Roll Tokkyuu'' that is indeed a dynamic, energizing and sympathetically old-fashioned hard rock tune that invites to dance and sing along without ever sounding predictable or shallow.

After this strong opening trio comes what might be the band's best song ever with ''Shinagawa Shinjuu'', a doom metal song with epic proportions that tells the gloomy story of a lovers' suicide. The heavy guitar riffs meander from slow and thunderous section to fast and energetic passages. The bass guitar play is particularly vivid throughout the song. The drum play is variable with punching precision in the slower parts and ferocious grit in the fast sections. The lead vocals by Wajima Shinji carry through eight entertaining minutes. The interesting lyrics find their climax in a creative middle section with a theatrical dialogue. Despite its massive length, the song was rightfully chosen as the album's lead single and the wonderful cinematography of the music video blends in perfectly as well. If you only had to listen to one single song by Ningen Isu to discover the band, I would recommend this one without a doubt.

The rest of the album includes a few other highlights such as ''Koritsumuen No Shisou'' that finds the perfect balance between more sinister lyrics and catchy sing-along passages as the track walks graciously on the thin line between hard rock and heavy metal or the gloomy closer ''Maboroshi Iro No Kotou'' that finishes the record with a cinematic, epic and sinister note that leaves a lasting impression.

The only issue with this album is that it's perhaps a little bit too long for its own good. Usually, I'm truly in favour of longer records with generous lengths but twelve tunes with a total running time of seventy-one minutes are a little bit too much. If the record had been reduced to its eight best tracks, it would have been one Ningen Isu's very best albums. As it is now, Hoochie Koo is a very good release that is certainly recommended to fans and newcomers alike but it cannot be considered a flawless masterpiece.

Final rating: 86%

Powerwolf is in many ways similar to bands like Sabaton. The German power metal quintet has developed its very own sound and concept and hasn't moved one iota away from it throughout the last few releases. An occasional fan could simply grab the compilation Best of the Blessed and ignore this release. The band's immense popularity in Germany however shows that the group's strategy is paying off very well in times when most bands are financially struggling.

The record includes short, powerful and catchy stompers on the thin line between heavy and power metal centered around sacral keyboard sounds and classically trained baritone vocals such as single ''Beast of Gévaudan'' whose historic topic had already inspired movies like the excellent Brotherhood of the Wolf. The band also offers songs on the more melodic, epic and conceptual side such as album highlight ''Alive or Undead''. The new studio album also includes concise party anthems with tongue-in-cheek lyrics such as ''Undress to Confess'' that are guaranteed to work very well in the context of festivals. The band also included its usual song with German lyrics this time around and ''Glaubenskraft'' unites all the band's strengths and blends in perfectly with the rest.

This album comes in numerous different versions. One additional disc entitled Missa Cantorem features ten songs where the band covers its own classics with additional guest vocalists. Primal Fear's charismatic Ralf Scheepers shines on ''Sanctified with Dynamite'', Alestorm's Christopher Bowes blends in perfectly on party anthem ''Resurrection by Erection''and Wintersun's Jari Mäenpää delivrs the goods on ''Saturday Satan'' as he reminds us that he is actually a great singer when he finally comes around to release new music. Other collaborations work a lot less such as the bland growls by Alissa White-Gluz on ''Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend'', Doro's predictable and forgettable participation by the numbers on ''Where the Wild Wolves Have Gone'' and Matthew Heafy's unspectacular and uninspired contribution to ''Fist by Fist (Sacralize or Strike)''. Overall, this additional disc is an entertaining gimmick for faithful fans but certainly not an essential addition.

The third bonus disc with orchestral versions reveals how similar the different Powerwolf songs sound. The verses focus on laid-back sacral keyboard sounds while the choruses feature louder symphonic elements backed up with occasional choirs.

It seems to be rather easy to create a stereotypical Powerwolf song. Let's give it a try. Start with a short instrumental introduction carried by keyboards and guitars alike for twenty seconds. Continue with a verse where guitars dominate that lasts for roughly forty seconds. Crank up the volume of the symphonic elements, add some occasional choirs and get to the point in the chorus in about twenty seconds. Repeat the second and third steps. Add a short instrumetal bridge in the key of the first step. Conclude with the third step and double the chorus. Include lyrics relating to religious and historic events with key terms such as ''cross'', ''fire'' and ''God''. There you go, you have your new Powerwolf single that lasts precisely three minutes and twenty seconds.

As you can read, Powerwolf's Call of the Wild is of no interest for more sophisticated, intellectual or experimental minds. The album is shallow, predictable and by the numbers. However, it's a fun record to listen to and offers welcome escapism for forty entertaining minutes. It's neither better nor worse than its predecessors. Powerwolf has been stagnating for at least eight years which means that you exactly get what you can expect. Faithful fans will adore the new record while those who have always thought that the band was overrated will hear their thoughts confirmed here. Personally, I'm right between both points of view and will simply listen to the band when I need some entertaining background music while doing something else.

Final rating: 67%