The album is a mythicized retelling of the original 1936 composition, told from different characters' perspectives: the boy, his grandfather, the hunters, and the animals: "Cat", "Bird", "Duk", and "Wulf". "Scarewulf" serves as a synopsis, or introduction, to the album's story. It is believed that Munly chose the Russian spelling of the track titles in homage to Prokofiev's original story. As told to Sad Wave, a Russian publication, Munly has been fascinated with the story ever since he was a child: Similarly, the press release informs the listener that "'Petr & The Wulf' is the correct telling of a story about which most have been woefully misinformed."
The Kinnery of Lupercalia
Ultimately, it is a prequel to the stories of his invented world, Lupercalia, told over a span of four albums. The goal is to produce a multi-album epic titled 'The Kinnery of Lupercalia', which is all about the town and its colorful residents. Its residents have been described as "families who interact with each other" and Lupercalia as an "imagined community of Legions & clans where we are not sure who is a deity and who is not." A "Pre-History of Lupercalia" was originally posted on the band's MySpace page as a blog post, but the page itself has been deleted.
Recording and production
Although a demo album was released in 2009, this is considered to be the first release by the band. It is the sixth studio album by musician Jay Munly overall. It was recorded, mixed, and produced by Bob Ferbrache at Absinthe Studios in Denver, Colorado.
Packaging and release
CD & LP editions
The Alternative Tentacles category number is VIRUS 421. The vinyl album was originally pressed by Rainbo Records. The matrix/runout numbers are S-73499 VIRUS-421-A and S-73500 VIRUS-421-B. The vinyl edition of the album included special artwork and a "Pre-History of Lupercalia." The album was re-released through the band's own independent record label, SCAC Unincorporated, around 2015.
Lyric booklet
In October 2019, band members Jay Munly and Rebecca Vera collaborated with Devil's Jump Press to produce limited-edition lyric booklets for the album. The lyrics were handwritten by Munly with artwork crafted by Vera. A "Pre-History of Lupercalia" was also included. Only 32 copies were printed and distributed in total.
Other appearances
The song "Grandfater" was featured on the Smooch Records compilation albumRadio 1190: Local Shakedown, Vol. 3 and on Rodentagogue: The Best of Dark Roots Music Volume II, released by Devil's Ruin Music in 2010.
Critical reception
Reviews of the album are mixed. Taipei Times' Taylor Briere praised the lyrics and instrumentation, giving the album a "deranged, circus-like feel and many wonderful musical moments". Embo Blake of Hybrid Magazine called the music "weirdly irreverent" and compared the tone to that of the "dark and twisted" 2006 animated Peter & the Wolf film. Maarten Schiethart of Penny Black Music, based in the UK, describes Munly as a "keen innovator" and the album full of "great ideas," although the backing band overshadowed the vocals. The A.V. Club gave the album a B- rating. Matt Schild wrote that the album works on "an intellectual level" but found it "too easy to get tangled up in the narrative" and called the arrangements "overwhelmingly dismal". Michael Cimaomo of the Valley Advocate echoed The A.V. Club, stating that the album overall is a "curious yet entrancing experience" but the lyrics are "overly verbose."
