Date Released: 16/09/2016
Label: Greyhaze Records
“The Grey
Eminence” is a better record than Warfather's debut (which was in itself a good
album!) and is a credit to those involved. This is a style of death metal I
like a lot; a mixture of all elements of the genre without too much of any one
thing. This is controlled force and a must listen for death metal heads
everywhere.
“The Grey Eminence” CD//DD track listing:
1). Order of the Horde
2). Headless Men Can No Longer Speak
3). Judgement, the Hammer
4). For Glory or Infamy
5). The Dawning Inquisition
6). Heedless Servant
7). Carnage of the Pious
8). Grey Eminence
9). Fair and Final Warning
The Review
Warfather return with this, their
second album of deathly and dark delights. Steve Tucker (Morbid Angel) is the marquee
name here and the pedigree is apparent from the off. This is, as “Orchestrating The Apocalypse”, was,
brutal and tech minded death metal... but with melody and cleaner sections that
elevate the album to greater heights than you might expect. “Order of The Horde” has all these
elements and they are each deployed with frightening precision. “Headless Men Can No Longer Speak” is a
serpentine track that unwinds as the song progresses. The instruments are
handled expertly, of course, but the lead breaks and time changes again place
the band a cut above many others in the genre.
As
death metal goes, the record displays a fair amount of emotional range; slower Morbid Angel-style
pacing rears its head on “Judgement, the
Hammer” but convincing mood shifts are never too far away. This is not an
all out assault all of the time, it is perhaps best described by echoing Tommy Vance's
description of Slayer's
set at Donington in 1992 to unwitting Radio 1 listeners: “this
is controlled force”.
The
nine tracks on offer here are more than enough; several are over the six minute
mark, with one of the tracks a little under four minutes. The complexity this
allows is a given; the band make the most of the playing time and weave
intricate passages of music throughout. “For
Glory and Infamy” and “The Dawning
Inquisition” are fine examples of the bands writing; one longer, the other
shorter, both complex and labyrinthine. “Heedless
Servant” has some lower tempos on offer and creeps forth out of the
speakers. This is a cracking track and a good example of the breadth of the
material available.
“Carnage of the Pious” has a compelling opening
and features some excellent rhythmical twists and turns; it really runs the
whole gamut! A tour de force! The title track is similarly perplexing in
arrangement and delivery- while being a wholly satisfying listen too, of
course. With “Fair and Final Warning”,
the band finish off this second album with a confident and muscular display of
death metal.
“The Grey Eminence” is a better record than Warfather's
debut (which was in itself a good album!) and is a credit to those involved.
This is a style of death metal I like a lot; a mixture of all elements of the
genre without too much of any one thing. A must listen for death metal heads
everywhere.
“The Grey Eminence” is available here
Band info: facebook
