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A year and a half has passed and the predecessor of 'Shadowmaker' spins its rounds in my CD player. It doesn't take Rock 'n' Rolf  very long to write a new album. I had grave doubts about this new release because their 2012 album didn't do anything for me.

First song "Soldiers of Fortune" opens hopefully, it is an average song with a nice riff and gives me some hope for the rest of the album. The second track immediately shatters my hope, it is a simple and weak rock 'n' roll song. "Adventure Highway" isn't a lot better either. Fortunately songs like "The Drift", "Fireheart", "Crystal Gold" and "Run Riot" show that Running Wild can still write rather good songs. It strikes me that these tracks are also the songs with more tempo. So there is some hope that Running Wild or should I say Rolf realizes that he has to write more up-tempo songs on the next album. The last song "Bloody Island" isn't a bad track either, but should have stopped after 4 minutes, 10 minutes is much too long.

I doubt that they will ever succeed in writing an album again, at the same level of an "Jolly Roger" or "Death or Glory", but I hope they will and what is wrong with some hope? I appreciate the persistence of Rolf and I still hear the pleasure he has playing this style of music, but I doubt this album will bring in new fans. Personally I like this album better than 'Shadowmaker' so no F this time.

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