Reviews
Warbringer: Worlds torn asunder
04/04/12 || InquisitorGeneralis
If any of the these new-school/old-school thrash bands even come close to tapping the vein of awesomeness that goes back the epic bands like Demolition Hammer and Nuclear Assault, it’s Warbringer. They don’t always hit every pitch into the bleechers, but they bring a consistently high level of aggression and heaviness to the overcrowded thrash metal game. I am a huge fan of their sophomore release Waking into Nightmares, (even if former staffer Trauma is not!) and their debut is not too shabby either. However, I was a bit skeptical that they could maintain the level of sweetness that was achieved on prior winners like “Abandoned by time”, “Scorched earth”, and “Prey for death”.
ME WRONG!!!
“Worlds Torn Asunder” is pretty fucking good. Like it’s older brothers it has some bland moments, but the all the good stuff from those brig bro’s is still here along with some clear attempts to add some variety to the band’s relentless thrash assault. Case in point(s); check out Demonic Ecstasy and Echoes from the void. It makes me happy to see Warbringer using more intricate song structures. I smell little hints of death and heavy metal in those tracks, and it pleases me. This is not Warbringerphagist or Dream Bringer, but there is a definite effort to move beyond the standard thrash thrash breakdown thrash formula. Not to say that tracks like “Shattered like glass” and “Living weapon” don’t follow that formula extremely fucking well, though. “Wake up… destroy” will appeal to fans of the earlier albums because it continues to thee tongue-in-cheek war themes of the previous albums and contains a(nother) catchy chanted chorus…something Warbringer have become pretty fucking good at…
TOTAL WAR!!!
There no songs on here that suck, just a few that can’t be considered anything special. “Savagery”, “Treacherous tongue”, and “Enemies of the state” are good, standard thrashers. But, they don’t tickle my boner like the tracks I previously linked for ya. The production is pretty solid; a bit more gritty than the cleanier sound of “Waking into Nightmares” but not as raw on the band’s debut. The band’s two-guitar attack is as strong as ever, and new drummer Carlos Cruz handles his shit behind the kit. His playing reminds of Tom Hunting’s from Exodus; extremely consistent and solid with a few “fuck me with a big black dildo” moments. John Kevill’s vocals remains exactly the same. Also, you some cool album art by the Seagravedigger, best thing I have seen with his name on it in a while. So yeah, that’s a plus.
SEAGRAVE!!!
It is no secret that heavy-handed thrash is my cup of cock. Classic Sepultura, Demoltion Hammer, Coroner… all of these are well-known personal favorites of the Inquisitor. Warbringer’s style does play right into my tastes, but I have a right to say “Worlds Torn Asunder” is a very, very good record; no major lows, several honest highs, and a whole lotta good thrashin’ in between. It’s another step in the right direction for a band that continues to stand out from the ever-expanding New Wave of Retro Thrash Metal pack.
- Information
- Released: 2011
- Label: Century Media
- Website: Warbringer MySpace
- Band
- John Kevill: vocals
- Adam Carroll: guitar
- John Laux: guitar
- Andy Laux: bass guitar
- Carlos Cruz: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Living Weapon
- 02. Shattered Like Glass
- 03. Wake Up… Destroy
- 04. Future Ages Gone
- 05. Savagery
- 06. Treacherous Tongue
- 07. Echoes from the Void
- 08. Enemies of the State
- 09. Behind the Veils of Night
- 10. Demonic Ecstasy
- 11. Sacrifice
