"Mrs Wilson, Something's wrong with Kathy! She heard there's a new Wolfsbane album out and she's frigged herself senseless!"

That little scenario is of course just a product from my twisted mind but the truth is that for many people of a certain age Wolfsbane do indeed awaken such fever pitch levels of sexual excitement. A band from our misspent youth that make us itch like an STD the foursome straight outta Tamworth are back and on a mission to save the world and take us all on a whirlwind rock 'n' roll ride back to a place where the only three things that matter are booze, birds and bad language.

But before I start heaping praise on this album like you all know I'm going to if you've read any of my previous Wolfsbane pieces I will first admit that even though I'd already witnessed The Bane deliver a devastatingly beautiful show of classics to a sold out crowd at London's Borderline back in April, and even though the accompanying EP, 'Did It For The Money', whetted my appetite for more fresh tunes, the thought of a whole new full length Wolfsbane album had me wildly excited but yet at the same time just a little bit worried. Worried that there was always that danger that they were going to piss all over their legacy. That the musical spark of genius between the four that had fired up timeless good time anthems like 'Paint The Town Red', 'I Like It Hot' and 'Ezy' had waned and that a whole full album of original material could possibly hold the potential to disappoint somewhat when held up alongside the majestic '...Kathy Wilson' and 'Down Fall The Good Guys'. There's no argument that the band can still play and deliver those old tunes with vigour and passion but could they really step up to that old dusty plate and add more golden nuggets to their catalogue with a whole host of new tunes a full 17 years after their last album? As it turns out, YES! Not an easy task for many a band but the Tamworth lads seem to have done it with such ease it's as if they've not even broken a sweat. The sign of true professionals, eh? As Jase Edwards's bang-on intro to 'Blue Sky' builds as quickly as the massive grin on my face it's as if they've never been away. Revving up their engines with tanks full of Newcastle Brown Ale they take us on a ride straight back to where we all left off. It feels like yesterday, certainly not 17 years as the bright 'Blue Sky' of renewed positivity positively glows out of the speakers and lights up the room and gives me the feeling that this album is gonna be something rather special.

'Teacher' cums second with her tongue pushed firmly into Blaze Bayley's cheek. With its hip swinging riff it's a case of 'Shakin' meets Van Halen and there's something gloriously inappropriate about four grown men all old enough to know better belting out dirty rock songs with lines like "I got the cuffs and two kinds of lube." 'Teacher' can genuinely sleaze it up with the best of those yesteryear Wolfie classics and is a prime example of what Wolfsbane have to offer the world in order to save it from the mundane, boring, generic music by numbers formulated bullshit that is slowly suffocating the youth of today. 'Buy My Pain' is up third and sound-wise heralds back to the fast-paced sonic attack that had been prevalent on Wolfsbane's much underrated self titled last offering from '94 in songs like 'Protect And Survive' and 'End Of The Century'. 'Buy My Pain' actually dates back to just a little after '94 and was originally written for Stretch, the band Jase Edwards, Jeff Hateley and Steve Danger formed after Blaze Bayley jumped ship to join Iron Maiden. A 'Caffeine Bomb' Wildhearts type vibe with Hateley's bass rolling around like an alcoholic Weeble on speed and it's great to hear it with Bayley's unique vocals now in place and I'm left wondering what wonders those intervening years could have held for Wolfsbane if they hadn't split up.

But we shouldn't dwell on what could have been or what might be just what is happening now as demonstrated in the beautiful 'Starlight' which sees Bayley going all Martine McCutcheon on us with his "...perfect moment" crooning. Like the wonderfully optimistic 'Broken Doll' but with the added insight of years of life experience it's a stark warning about not wishing away your life waiting for better things to happen tomorrow when you should be relishing what you have today. Then as the sensitivity subsides the true spirit of Wolfsbane howls into life with the amazing 'Smoke And Red Light'. Rockin' out as one of the hottest tracks on an album hotter than carpet burns on a hooker's knees 'Smoke And Red Light' is a 222 second fire blast of youthful exuberance and swaggering innocence that only a band like Wolfsbane could pull off so convincingly. 'Illusion Of Love' is an epic centre piece of six minute seduction which sees some insane piano thrashing from Jase 'Steinman' Edwards while 'Everybody's Looking For Something Baby' is for me the absolute highlight of 'Wolfsbane Save The World'. A hard hitting in your face rocker with its Lydon inspired "Ever had the feeling you've been cheated?" tag line. Outstanding. And the Edwards penned 'Child Of The Sun' shows a side of these shitheads often left unseen. Some people look at Wolfsbane like they're some sort of joke band, as opposed to a band who like to have a joke. Big difference morons! 'Child Of The Sun' takes those people and slaps them full in the face with a song so beautiful they can be left with no other option than to apologise for their misguided and ill judged view of The Bane. Truly one of the best new songs that I've heard this year it shows that Wolfsbane are far from a spent force and certainly have it in them to take their game back into the big league.

All written, recorded, produced and released in house at Camp Wolfie 'Wolfsbane Save The World' is free from any outside influence and in turn is the fresh and still exciting sound of four guys doing just what they want and not giving a fuck about how 'cool' they are or trying to fit into to any 'scene'. 11 tracks wrapped with a sensation of purity and honesty Wolfsbane have delivered an uncompromising undiluted version of the ultimate rock vision. While the likes of Kerrang TV shamelessly fudge their little corporate loving cocks up against bands with less rock content than an empty cellophane wrapper from Blackpool the more intelligent of us rock fan types have always known that the true war was always waiting underground. Now ready to re-emerge, blinking into the sunlight and raring for a fight 'Wolfsbane Save The World' is our rallying call to take that fight overground and help Wolfsbane pollute the blood of the mainstream with 3 minute bites of infectious metal just like drunken invaders from Mars. If Wolfsbane can't save the world with this 46 minute collection of magical life loving moments then nobody can.

'Wolfsbane Save The World' won't be available to buy in shops until January but it's available right now from the guys direct so save yourself today and get over to http://www.wolfsbanehms.com/store/ and snap up the album of the year without hesitation. Put your life in the hands of this rock 'n' roll band and put just a little of your hard earned into their beer stained pockets simply because the sparkling bundle of tunes that you'll get in return will be worth every fucking penny.