Wolfmother - Cosmic Egg

Photo / Supplied

Rating: * * *

Back in 2005 with their self-titled debut, Australian trio Wolfmother had the Darkness factor: retro, rockin' and flamboyant, only without the campness. They also had the potential to be gimmicky like that British band, but thankfully, with banging rockers like Woman and Mind's Eye, and the prog' lunacy of White Unicorn and Tales from the Forest of Gnomes, they showed they were more about musical chops than pomp.

This time, with a change of line-up after two of the founding members quit over musical differences with leader Andrew Stockdale, they've come up with a solid follow-up though not quite as powerful as the first.

Then again Cosmic Egg is a more diverse album and doesn't rely so heavily on channelling Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. In fact, on In the Castle they get into an Iron Maiden gallop, and on Pilgrim they hammer along with a low humming bass driving it as hints of flower power pop psychedelia come through. Elsewhere there are moving and romantic moments, like In the Morning and Far Away, and more traditional thumpers like 10,000 Feet, with its almighty chug, and the title track, a low-down dirty blues monster.

Meanwhile, Stockdale possesses one of the most unique rock'n'roll voices - it's like a falsetto holler yet incredibly it's the afro-haired frontman's real voice.

Though Cosmic Egg is solid, one wonders if the time between albums and band upheavals might have played with Stockdale's potency a little.

Scott Kara