The album starts with the title according to the howling of wolves and the opener "Out of the body" then turns out to be a kind of overture; a short instrumental introduction with perhaps a little too sweet violin sounds.
The title song "Wolf Light" comes after the first long track in quite varied garb. There already the hymn-programmatic quintessence of the album - classic sounds of Nylon Guitar and Orchestra mixed with exotic stringed instruments, rich choruses, gaudy drums (in marching robe) and great guitar solos. The music describes a wide arc of tension over a sometimes slightly sinister arrangement that would make the piece well as a movie soundtrack fit.
A theme of "Fire On The Moon" from the album "Out Of The Tunnel's Mouth" is from 6:05 min twice quoted. When I recently had the opportunity to ask Hackett, what reason he had for this self-quotation, he gave himself clueless and said that this was possibly due to his age ...
"Love Song to a Vampire" begins with a fine intro on the nylon guitar and one is almost surprised to hear Steve's voice times all alone and without major effects, since already starts the usual polyphonic choir in which his singing then up or goes down. As a chorus there is again a "Aaaah" -Chor, also there were so similar in Fire on the Moon, but here it is much less succinct and superficial, because the song comes a whole rather subdued. Noteworthy is the beautiful guitar solo in typical Hackett Signature style. From minute 7 it is then first classic - an orchestra plays briefly to the fore, then it is briefly a little louder - Steve suggests that he still has nimble fingers as they age - before eventually fading hymnal.
"The wheel's turning" begins with a strange 2/4-stroke and fairground music, to murmurs Hackett quietly "There is no schadenfreude here", then the actual song that you already know from the video begins. Here, however, the long-wheelbase version, which still opposes the overly trendy video version proggige some rough edges. The orchestra here fits well, sometimes you feel the bulkier moments of "Voyage of the Acolyte", his debut album from 1975 recalls. When singing, however, you're quickly back in the present, or its more recent past. The guitar solos at the end belong to a class, but will cross almost blinded a little early with the sounds fair.
"Corycian Fire" starts with exotic instruments over a dull rumble, almost like from a helicopter, then uses traditional string quartet an unexpected counterpoint. Heavy drums and distorted vocals then provide a renewed tension, constantly interrupted by Far Eastern interjections. With Orff-like choirs, the screws up to a beautiful climax, the piece then ends quite abruptly.
"Earthshine" is then a nice contrast in the form of a great nylon solo piece. Sometimes you think, here parts of reconciliations, with whom he has previously connected like the items of its Acoustic medleys to recognize. But this is not the aim is to demonstrate dexterity; the piece is rather written out, well structured and is available in a number of his best works for classical guitar.
"Loving Sea" sounds a lot like Crosby, Stills & Nash. Two acoustic guitars with fast beaten Country chords and delicate, throughout several voices is crossed here and there by reverse-established electric guitars.
With "Black Thunder" followed by the final track of the album Long. The emphasis starts with grim-pounding rhythm, slightly distorted vocals. The title fits exactly to the sinister atmosphere of this piece. In the end, Rob Townsend may contribute a beautiful clarinet solo.
"Dust and Dreams" is a strange, instrumental mixture of Far Eastern sounds and the appropriate harmonies to on a fairly solid reggae rhythm - but only up to about half of the song, it is "Black Thunder" -like dark again. On top is then another great guitar solo.
In this song, there are two further self-citations, see: the melody of the guitar solo from 1:48 min originally found directly at the beginning of his "classic" album "Metamorpheus" (2005), about 18 seconds in the play "The Pool of Memory and the pool of Forgetfulness ". And the thundering drums in the second half is apparently based on a sample of "Valley of the Kings" (from the album "Genesis Revisited", 1996).
The transition to "Heartsong" manages almost unnoticed, because rhythm and guitar solo remain virtually unchanged, then comes the finale a reasonable singing. The text is short and enstpricht an innocuous love song, almost one might wish to here sometimes need to hear no choir, but the ultimate résumé "Let Me Find A Way To Love You" Hackett actually alone and astonishing mastery sings then. His guitar line in the background sounds like the jangle he ages ago to another Final song, namely "Afterglow" (Genesis: "Wind & Wuthering", 1977) has contributed. A "Aaah" and the typical chord progressions -Chor à la Tony Banks may not be missing. I think he has written in his typical British humor with tongue in cheek this pretty little song. Unfortunately, after less than two and a half minutes begins the leisurely fade, with another, beautiful guitar solo fades into nothingness.
Despite the well known formula occurring Steve Hackett has here presented an ambitious album, recorded with great attention to detail, each time fresh and interesting appears. Even better than its predecessor "Beyond the Shrouded Horizon" him some really large litters are managed here. Compositionally, it is not a single weak point, always just when you fear that perhaps there could be too smooth and conventionally in the next moment, Hackett gets at the right moment the curve and finds a surprising way. Some arrangements appear here and there maybe a little too bombastic, too thickly. However, this does not diminish your listening pleasure and is looking forward to the next run.
