WOLF CITY

Wolf City is an attempt to distill A.D. II's wild psychedelic excursions into a more accessible sound for a mainstream audience. However, by its very nature, A.D. II's traditional sound cannot by contained in an album barely 30 min long. Therein lies the flaw in Wolf City; it is an attempt at an impossible synthesis.

That's not to say that the album fails completely. The band has in fact continued to refine and polish its sound as is shown on the solid opening and closing tracks. In addition, the instrumental Wie der Wind am Ende einer Strasse is a highlight for me. The rest of the album though, seems to come up short. In particular, Jailhouse Frog and the title track always leave me painfully disappointed. The potential for a brilliant album is present in Wolf City if only the band had decided to let loose at the right moments.

I understand the band's need to evolve but IMHO Wolf City abandons what made them great in the first place, the ability to blow our minds with a powerful jam. While I suppose it deserves 3.5 stars for a solid foundation, I feel that ultimately I must round down rather than up.