When ask, what is your favorite local or pinoy band? Without a bat of an eyelash I would say Wolfgang and they are my favorite band of all time. I started liking them during their days in the defunct bar known as Kalye (Inside the Atrium Makati).The pack was comprised of Basti Artadi (vocals), Wolf Gemora (drums), Mon Legaspi (bass) and Manuel Legarda (guitar).During the early 90’s there was an explosion in local music scene which was spearheaded by bands like the Eraserheads, The Dawn and Rivermaya .The bands’ music back then was referred as “alternative” which for me was a cliché term. But Wolfgang’s music was influenced by 70’s rock legends (led zep, pink floyd, etc) thus making it distinct and uncompromising classic rock during that era. When it comes to fan base the group has a following of their own though Wolfgang is not a commercial band.
The band’s debut album entitled Wolfgang under Alpha Records was released in 1995 and went platinum in less than a year. In 1996 they signed up with a major label, Epic of Sony Music Philippines, their first album under Epic, Semenelin, reached at least double-platinum status and earned the NU Rock Awards Album of the Year plum.Thus making Wolfgang the most popular band during those days. Wurm was released in late 1997. It reached platinum status (40,000 albums sold). The lower sales figure achieved when compared to Semenelin can perhaps be attributed in part to the downswing of the rock movement, which had started several years earlier. Wurm, which was recorded entirely in English, was released in early 1998 in Japan the world's second-largest market for recorded music, and Wolfgang performed several shows in Japan to promote the album. Wolfgang's fourth album, Serve in Silence, was released locally in March 1999, and saw a return to the style showcased in 1996's Semenelin. Serve in Silence tied for first place for Album of the Year, and Basti Artadi won again for Vocalist of the Year, his third overall win in this category. Wolfgang also won the Listener's Choice award in NU107 Rock Awards. Serve in Silence's carrier single "Atomica" had a music video which was hailed as one of the greatest Filipino rock music videos of all time.Their fifth nad final album was released August 2001 prior to their break-up in late 2002.
Personally I like the band because of Artadi’s distinct voice character, angst and aggression of the music without compromising the depth and profoundness of the songs and lyrics.My personal favorites are “What grows in your garden” which is the epitome of a Biblical principle “What you sow,you will reap”, ”Idlip”,”No Falter”,”Matter of Time” and the rocker’s ultimate love song “Darkness Fell”.I’ve been a fan for about a decade now and I might say fotunate enough to attend some of their gigs especially the 2002 Wolfmusic Anniversary exclusively for the mail listers only a spine chilling and head bangin’ experience and have all the albums and some memorabilias.Although my liking to metal and hard rock has taken a backseat for a couple of years now all I can say fo me it’s still Wolfgang when it comes to local rock or I might say rock music itself though a lot of newcomers have stormed the local rock/alternative rock music scene.
***photos courtesy of philmusic***
