If there's one thing that's been missing from the thrash revival of recent times, it's been a clear-cut leader of the pack. There have been a huge number of bands out there thrashing like it's 1986 all over again and some are undeniably terrific, but the scene is still missing a figurehead. This is where Warbringer come into the picture.
Taking cues from the more straightforward aggression of Exodus and Testament and eschewing the technical dexterity of Metallica, Warbringer are the latest export from the burgeoning California underground. Waking Into Nightmares is their second album for Century Media records and a highly impressive showcase for their unrelenting fretboard fury.
Warbringer: Born With The Heart Of A Lion
Granted, originality takes a back seat to mosh-monsters like Prey For Death and the blinding Severed Reality but what Warbringer lack in imagination, they make up for in pure primal fury. Song topics cover the usual thrash staples of war, horror and death but just when the formula is starting to get stale, another guitar riff comes thundering out of the speakers to remind metalheads everywhere exactly why thrash is such a fist-pumping joy.
Furthermore, while a lot of their contemporaries such as Municipal Waste and Evile have tempered their high speed onslaughts with liberal doses of humour, Warbringer are a lot more ruthless. There are no references to Judge Dredd or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles here, instead there is a nuclear war, ash wastelands and bodies being cut to ribbons by machine guns and barb wire.
Modern Thrash Metal
In addition, what makes Warbringer stand out is the invigorating performance of John Kevill, the band's mouthpiece. He barks out his lyrics with the same rapid-fire intensity fans have come to expect, but somehow remains intelligible in the maelstrom. His vocal-chord shredding, Drill Instructor rants are highly suited to tracks like Jackal or the appropriately named Abandoned By Time and perfectly fit the crunching power chords and double bass grind.
Waking Into Nightmares isn't a perfect album though. The instrumental Nightmare Anatomy for example is an interesting demonstration of their musicianship, but feels at odds with the unrelenting pace of the other tracks and would have been a lot more effective if it had been two minutes shorter. They're also a few catchy choruses short of a genuine classic but these minor flaws help the rest of the album feel stronger and when it's good, it's blinding.
Waking Into Nightmares: The Verdict
Ultimately, Waking Into Nightmares is not Warbringer's best album but the reason for that is simple: they haven't written it yet. Rather this is their Kill 'Em All, a stepping stone to the big time that's positively bursting with youthful vigour and hints at a rewarding future career. Last summer they took Wacken by storm, the rest of the world is next.
Tim Bolitho-Jones - Confident but inexperienced, I am a 25 year old from England who recently graduated from Southampton University with a Masters degree in ...
