Wednesday, 31 May 2017

ALBUM REVIEW: Warbringer - “Woe To The Vanquished”

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 31/03/2017
Label: Napalm Records


Simply put, all the ingredients of the good side of thrash are here: big riffs, great production, soaring leads and aggressive vocals. It's a beast of a sound and the band will keep fans of Exodus, Testament, Death Angel et al happy all year. If you want some thrash, this one comes recommended.

“Woe To The Vanquished” CD//DD//LP track  listing:

1 Silhouettes
2 Woe to the Vanquished
3 Remain Violent
4 Shellfire
5 Descending Blade
6 Spectral Asylum
7 Divinity of Flesh
8 When the Guns Fell Silent

The Review

Warbringer return after their slick 2013 tour de force of “IV: Empires Collapse”, with this more extreme and gnarly effort. Bay area thrash is on the table here; this is for fans of Exodus and Death Angel.

There are blasts as well as thrash pacing (the title track), leads that sound very much out of Alex Skolnick's play book and an overwhelming feeling that you have heard this type of thing before... but that doesn't mean that you don't want to hear it again! Highlights are plentiful; the title track, “Remain Violent”, “Divinity of Flesh”...There is even an epic album closer in the shape of “When The Guns Fell Silent”.

As noted above, this is not as slick and, well, 'album-like' as its predecessor, but it is a feral collection of thrash songs played in the modern style, with every reference point harking back to the glory days of 1985-1990. It's violent and fun, that's for sure, whether it has the sticking power of “IV…” remains to be judged over time.

Simply put, all the ingredients of the good side of thrash are here: big riffs, great production, soaring leads and aggressive vocals. It's a beast of a sound and the band will keep fans of Exodus, Testament, Death Angel et al happy all year. If you want some thrash, this one comes recommended.

Woe To The Vanquished” is available everywhere now





FFO: Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Havok

Band info: facebook