WOLF Releases 'Death Satellite' Single From Upcoming 'Hour Of The Wolf' Album

Swedish traditional metallers WOLF will release their tenth studio album, "Hour Of The Wolf", on November 20, 2026 via Fireflash Records. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Death Satellite", can be seen below.

Formed in Sweden in 1995, WOLF was among the first bands to resurrect and rejuvenate the traditional heavy metal sound in the '90s, when the genre was considered dead. Inspired by classic heavy metal bands from the '70s and '80s, WOLF laid the groundwork for the genre's triumphant return in subsequent years. Over the course of their nine albums, the band has been seen by many as the originators of the new wave of traditional heavy metal.

"Hour Of The Wolf" is an uncompromising release that stays true to WOLF's roots while expanding the sound of classic heavy metal.

WOLF has never tried to sound modern, or even retro, and has proven time and again that they follow no trends. They simply stick to their vision of what heavy metal should be.

WOLF vocalist and guitarist Niklas Stålvind comments: "We wanted to make an album that could fit on one side of a 90-minute cassette tape, just like the albums used to back in the day. Our goal was to create an album that you would want to listen to from start to finish and then play again. I think we accomplished that. It's diverse enough without losing the classic WOLF sound."

Regarding "Death Satellite", Niklas states: "This one is a straight-up banger, with all the elements that make up the classic WOLF sound. If you heard us before, you will instantly recognize the sound within seconds. While our A.I. overlords have their algorithms planting thoughts in our brains, we offer some old-school, manmade metal so we won't go insane. As usual, the lyrics has some deeper meaning and food for thought, but most of all the song is meant for fist raising headbanging and good times."

The "Death Satellite" video was directed by Cannes Film award winner Snovonne "Sno" Drake, who also directed another, soon-to-be-released video for this album.

Today, WOLF also kicks off the album pre-order for "Hour Of The Wolf", which will be made available on CD and three different vinyl editions: red/yellow marbled, red/black splatter (including signed autograph card and indie exclusive) and blue marbled (Scandinavia exclusive),and digital.

Everything about WOLF is authentic. Thomas Holm, who created most of the previous WOLF front covers as well as iconic artworks like "Don't Break The Oath" and "Melissa" (MERCYFUL FATE) and "Abigail" and "Them" (KING DIAMOND),once again created the eye-catching artwork.

Niklas says: "I told him the album title, the song titles, and the mood of the album. The oil paintings are his visual interpretations of our music. His work is the antidote to the increasingly common A.I. 'art'. We are the real deal, and we want the real deal."

WOLF keeps it in the family. They recorded the entire album in their own studios and bassist Pontus Egberg took on the role as producer.

"We're fortunate to have so much talent in the band. We don't need to outsource anything," says Niklas. He adds, "Pontus is a very good musician, and he's much more structured than I am. That gave me the freedom to focus more on the artistic side of it all."

Egberg's part, who joined WOLF in 2019, becomes more important than ever. The bassist, who is also a member of KING DIAMOND, among other bands, is more than happy with the organic result.

"Throughout the whole production process, Niklas and I had a very close collaboration, blurting ideas back and forth that I then tried to realize in the mix and the stellar performances from Johan, Simon and Niklas made the production flow very smoothly," Pontus says.

The lyrical inspiration is totally varied and could come from books, movies, or imagined stories.

"I want to write entertaining songs," Niklas says. "Often, I see images in my mind from the music and lyrics. I try not to get in the way of the music and let the songs take me for a ride." The title track "Hour Of The Wolf" is the perfect example.

"Pontus sent me a demo with most of the music for 'Hour Of The Wolf', and I instantly got images in my head," Niklas says. "I live far out in the Swedish countryside and have a Scandinavian forest right outside my door. I take walks in the forest almost every day. There's a certain feeling on a starlit winter night or an early autumn morning, with the fog rolling in over the fields. I think that inspired me the most for that song."

"Hour Of The Wolf" is the tenth studio album by the quartet and 110% WOLF.

"We've maintained our musical vision for over 30 years, and we're thrilled that people enjoy our work," Niklas states. "We have developed a lot but stayed true to the Wolf sound. In fact, I don't even think about it. When I'm part of the songwriting process and sing, it just sounds like WOLF no matter what we do."

There is still a lot to discover. The album opens with the first single, "Death Satellite", which contains all the classic elements of a WOLF song: the WOLF-style riffs, the twin guitars, Niklas's characteristic vocals and a that certain uptempo groove they are known for. However, there are also songs that explore the outskirts of the WOLF universe, which makes the album truly stand on its own.

"My favorite track, 'The Music Of Erich Zann', doesn't have a chorus," Niklas says. "Instead, it has a drum solo and unusual harmonies for classic metal, as well as a story that takes you on a journey. Not only do the lyrics tell the story, but the music does too. The song is like a movie, but with sounds instead of images. Another great example is 'Waltz Post-Mortem', with a chorus in 3/4 time, like a waltz. Each section of the song is very different from the others, blending heavy metal riffs with harmonies inspired by classical composers and the song's arrangement is unusual as well. If you want to take a skeleton out of your closet and dance with it, this is the song to do it to!"

Another exciting track is "Doppelgänger", a German word that puts a big smile on Niklas Stålvind's face. "I have always loved that word," he explains. "I had the beginning of the song for years, and when I started working on it again, the word 'doppelgänger' came to mind. The concept of doppelgängers has always fascinated me. I was told that I had one in the small town where I grew up, but I never met him. What if you have a doppelgänger who takes over your life and does evil deeds, leaving you with the blame? What if it was really you? Your shadow self... Wouldn't it be convenient to blame your doppelgänger for your own darkness instead of facing it?"

WOLF is:

Niklas Stålvind - Lead vocals, guitar
Simon Johansson - guitar
Pontus Egberg - bass guitar, backing vocals
Johan Koleberg - drums

Photo credit: Therés Stephansdotter Björk