‘Wolfgang: The Reunion’ Covered All Bases – Review

Last Saturday night, Basti Artadi took to the stage at the New Frontier Theater in a wig.

The Wolfgang lead singer is not exactly known to be devoid of humor, despite his band’s angry and/or angst-ridden hard rock anthems that touched many a nerve among the Generation X youth during the 1990s. Still, it was a bit surprising that he kicked off the band’s much-awaited reunion show with a throwback to his long-locked look from that decade, given the momentousness and rarity of the occasion.

The show marked the first time that both Artadi and guitarist Manuel Legarda would play with founding drummer Wolf Gemora after more than two decades, as the band went on hiatus in 2002. Along with bassist Mon Legaspi (who passed away in 2022), they comprised Wolfgang’s seminal lineup, which released a total of five studio albums, played countless shows here and abroad, and established themselves as one of the country’s preeminent hard rock and metal acts that simultaneously sold records, was acclaimed by critics and loved by fans, earned the respect of their peers, and most importantly, consistently slayed live.

Unsurprisingly then, Wolfgang delivered from the get-go. Artadi’s little stunt did nothing to dilute the power of set opener “Natutulog Kong Mundo” as the band came in with guns blazing, followed by an unhinged “Arise.” As Wolfgang marked the 30th anniversary of their seminal self-titled debut album last year, all of its tracks were performed that evening, along with favorites from Semenelin (1996) and Serve In Silence (1999). Oddly enough, both Wurm (1997) and Black Mantra (2001) were represented by only one track each, but the 21-song set hardly left anyone in the sold-out venue wanting more.

Onstage, the band was in top form. Session bassist Marco Cuneta channeled Legaspi’s skill and spirit and made them his own, singing backup when needed, and supplying a solid melodic backbone all throughout, especially when Legarda did a guitar solo. As for the guitarist, his reputation as one of the sharpest and most precise players in Pinoy rock was upheld, executing heavy riffs (“Left Alone,” “Bought & Sold,” “No Falter”), sparkly arpeggios (a portion of “A Tonic Reprise” segueing into “Atomica”), and incendiary leads (on almost every song) flawlessly and effortlessly. Returning drummer Gemora made the most of his homecoming (he migrated to the US in 2002), as the two-time NU 107 Rock Awards Drummer of the Year winner hit the skins as though he had never left. He particularly shone on the sprawling Semenelin track “New Mother Nature,” keeping the almost-seven-minute psychedelic metal suite interesting with Tool-inspired patterns and fills.

And then there was Artadi, whose vocal prowess was never in question, and yet he still managed to surpass expectations. He projected every lyric and syllable with utter conviction and perfect pitch — his musical theater experience likely being a big factor — and commanded the stage like a frontman should without overdoing it. While everybody’s skills were honed through decades of performing, the singer actually made the old songs sound better as his voice hardly aged; if anything, Artadi sang more confidently than ever before. He never once showed any sign that their decades-old lyrics felt dated; even if he introduced “Darkness Fell” — a sentimental number by Wolfgang’s standards — by saying he wrote it in his 20s to get girls, he sang every word with complete earnestness and passion, making it one of the evening’s highest points.

It wasn’t all rock and roll, however. An emotional and timely tribute to Legaspi was made via unearthed footage of him playing a bass solo, followed by Artadi praising him as one of the country’s best lyricists prior to launching into “Cast of Clowns.” Later in the set, “Hell Looks” (the sole inclusion from Wurm) was dedicated to the late Brian Velasco, drummer of brother band Razorback, whom Artadi called “a beautiful, beautiful man.”

Wolfgang closed their main set with the two-hit combo of the immortal “Halik Ni Hudas” and “Mata Ng Diyos,” then returned to do “As Oceans” and “Weightless” as an encore, capping off an almost two-hour performance without an excessive stage design (just several LED screens as backdrop) nor choreographed theatrics — just great sound thanks to New Frontier Theater’s excellent acoustics, and incendiary live rock from one the local scene’s most consistent and reliable veteran acts.

With milestones celebrated, their entire discography represented, and tributes given to whom they were due, Wolfgang covered all bases in just a single crucial show. What the band members may lack in hair these days, they’ve more than made up for by demonstrating — and proving — that their art remains vital and relevant, and that they could deliver one of the best rock shows of the year.

Wolfgang: The Reunion was presented by Ovation Productions.