Pink Floyd had Pompeii, Wolforna have Leeds’ Headrow House… When it comes to live albums that really show the calibre of a band outside a studio environment, this could be one for the ages.

Delivering the same spooky vibe as their haunting Headrow gig, just purely sonically, Wolforna have captured the essence of their buoyant, entertaining stage presence, so well. With soundbites of in-crowd interaction adding the cherry on top of the whole ten-track experience, ‘Wolforna — Live!’ is a triumph and a half. 

But they didn’t want to stop at producing a collection of music you’ll enjoy through speakers or headphones; for the first time ever, the tunes are available in physical CD format. Now, having worked in a record store part-time for seven years (shout-out to HMV Harrogate), I can’t resist a hard copy. The first open of the case reveals a single-page cover insert with band and recording details, while the sunburst-finish imagery on the disc itself offers an old-school aesthetic. And when removing it, strip-style artwork split five ways shows one aspect of a live shot of each member on stage. Without giving more of the visual game away, it’s a superbly well-curated, polished keepsake. And furthermore, it marks the striding leap Wolforna have taken to get from studio to stage, and reinforces how sharp, composed and heavy they are in a live setting. Something not every outfit achieves, even when famous and among the upper echelons! Flawless. 

Musically, it should come as no surprise you’re in for a treat. I mean, you’ll no doubt have devoured the two tasters dropped ahead of the EP; ‘Penrose’ and, a firm favourite, ‘Reset’. Here, though, you soon learn Wolforna have comprised the tracklisting of old crowd-pleasers and new bangers from ‘Tales of the Damned’, the EP they released last November. ‘Your Tongue, My Teeth’ begins proceedings, with the full intro that includes a lengthy, eerie clip from Resident Evil. Just as they played it at Headrow House, and everybody started questioning what was about to happen. Creepy but fabulous. 

For me, it’s on ‘What’s That In Old Money?’ that things really start to go hell for leather. They’re using the might and weight of a trio of guitars throughout, after all! The song harnesses this rumbling bass while really going for it on the sitar, then ‘Copium’ is fiercer, naughtier and grungier than before. It’s quite possibly their darkest recording. What’s extra-cool is that you really get the full effect of the real chains jangled to bring ‘Chains’ and its sinister soul alive. 

Although we’re all used to frontman Jack’s signature roaring vocals, the pacy ‘Zombie Knife’ harnesses guitarist Adam’s rap-style lyrical input instead. It ends with that dystopian female news bulletin monologue from the EP, and, they’ve laced in a new nugget of fun TV quippage before the very scuzzy ‘Something Missing’. The speedy, punchy ‘Break You’ has bigger balls than the original — which serves as another highlight, thanks to its fist-pumping energy, too. Then, before long, the massive, crunching, crescendo of an ending crashes like a wave over the popular ‘22 Degrees & Sunny’. 

Wolforna couldn’t help but plate up unwavering greatness; it’s in their DNA. And now you can relish their heavy rock finery via CD as well. Check out their Bandcamp to buy one, or pop into HMV Bradford while stocks last. 

If you only download one track, let it be: ‘Reset (Live)’