The idea to start Rock Wolves was conceived in autumn 2015 during a tour by Michael Schenker’s current band, Temple Of Rock, which Rarebell and Voss have been members of for five years. As a drummer and songwriter with the Scorpions, Herman Rarebell was significantly involved in eight of their studio albums between 1977 and 1996, among them classics such as Lovedrive, Blackout and Love At First Sting. Guitarist/vocalist Michael Voss first caused a stir in the 1980s with groups such as Mad Max and Casanova and his role in Temple Of Rock is not only that of a frontman, but also that of a songwriter and producer. When Schenker announced that he wanted to cut down on concerts in the coming months, an opportunity opened for Rarebell and Voss to start a new band together. They soon found the perfect bassist in Stephan “Gudze” Hinz. Gudze is founder member and bassist of H-Blockx and hence a representative of the 1990s rock generation. So here we have three illustrious names, three decades, and three artistic careers with similar but by no means congruent influences.
This diversity of ideas and the band’s almost boundless musical enthusiasm is reflected in every one of the eleven songs on their debut release. Straight rock numbers like the first single ´Rock For The Nations`, the shuffle groove-driven ´Surrounded By Fools`, the fast-paced ´Out Of Time`, and ´The Lion Is Loose` with its haunting live qualities, but also ´I Need Your Love`, which brings to mind the likes of AC/DC and Bad Company, are thoroughbred rock tracks that go directly to the listener’s gut and legs, as well as – like all ambitioned rock music should – touching on painful subjects. “Instead of delivering tanks and arms all over the world, Germany should concentrate on exporting good rock music,” Rarebell explains the message of ´Rock For The Nations`. The lyrics on ´Surrounded By Fools` with their warning of unscrupulous politicians are no less critical. Rarebell: “Let’s not be dazzled by their colourful election campaigns. Those politicians can easily end up bringing war to their countries.”
Naturally, no diverse rock album would be complete without two or three more quiet numbers with less controversial subjects. In ´Nothing´s Gonna Bring Me Down`, Rock Wolves have succeeded in recording a strikingly contemporary ballad which could have been penned in the same or a similar manner by Lenny Kravitz. Talking of which: the original version of the deeply melodic ´What About Love` was recorded by Jim Vallance, but celebrated its greatest success in 1985 with Heart, who topped the Billboard charts for an impressive 18 weeks with the song. “Our new version has been given the blessing by Jim Vallance himself. His only comment was: ´Your version is even better than my original, so go for it`,” remembers Rarebell.
The bar may be pretty high for an act with such a prestigious line-up, but a brilliant rock album like Rock Wolves’ debut has everything it takes to conquer the charts, because at the end of the day quality will always prevail, and as poet and novelist Hermann Hesse put it so aptly: ´Each beginning bears a special magic.` It will prove very difficult to resist the magic of this new band.