Wolverine – Anomalies (Review)

Wolverine are a Swedish progressive metal band and this is their sixth album.

Wolverine play a compelling form of progressive rock, and that’s putting it mildly. Across the 52 minutes of material on Anomalies the band convincingly put on masterclass of the style.

Anomalies is a melancholic record, with a darkness at its heart. However, that doesn’t mean it’s lightless or without hope. Delicate grace, gripping tension, contemplative shading, soaring heights, fragile introspection, dramatic atmosphere, and more; lovers of the style will find much to obsess over here.

Wolverine have poured a lot into this collection of songs. The intrepid listener will find great beauty and intimate emotion, alongside spacious scope and heartfelt depth. The rewards for embarking on the journey that Anomalies places before you are immense, and the risks few; Wolverine are capable guides, and the sights they have to show you are worth spending time absorbing yourself in.

Melodies seem to glitter with resplendent feeling, while expansive synths wash over the music, evocative of the album’s cover. All of the band members know exactly what they’re doing, but I feel an overriding urge to single out their outstanding vocalist. Wolverine boast very, very strong clean vocals from their expressive singer. I have always loved his voice ever since I first heard it on 2003’s Cold Light of Monday, and the intervening two plus decades(!) have done nothing to dampen the sheer quality of his voice. It drips with emotion and carries within it both nuance and power. I feel it’s also important to make clear though that a great singer alone does not a great album make. This is why I’m very pleased to say that the rest of the music is as exceptional as the singer’s voice, and everyone involved in the making of Anomalies seems to have outdone themselves.

Honestly, this is just a fantastic record. It gives me everything I love about progressive rock, but without the stale crap and indulgent filler. Wolverine have smashed it, as they say. If you’re a progressive rock/metal fan, from Dawnwalker to Katatonia to Steven Wilson, this is for you. I’m convinced that Anomalies will remain one of the main highlights that the genre has to offer in 2026.

Essential listening.