Warbringer are one of the biggest names in the NWOTM, and for good reason. Their debut album "War Without End" caused many heads to bang and began Warbringer's march to the forefront of today's metal scene. After delivering a nice dose of combat shock with their first effort, they would need a great follow up, and they did just that with their sophomore album, "Waking Into Nightmares." This modern masterpiece carried on where "War Without End" left off, as it still contained the Demolition Hammer and Sacrifice influenced thrash assault, but it also saw some more layers being added to the traditional thrash sound. They successfully mixed in death metal influences (Shadow From the Tomb), as well as some doom metal sections (Prey for Death) without going overboard, and the result was 100% brilliance. Now, over a year later, Warbringer is set to release one of the most anticipated metal albums of the year with "Worlds Torn Asunder," but was the wait worth it?
After listening to this album several times, the answer is yes. Warbringer has once again shown why they are the best thing going today in the thrash scene, and one of the best metal bands in general. "Worlds Torn Asunder" is full of catchy riffs, insanely great vocals, stellar solos, intense drumming and everything in between. This album has everything that the previous Warbringer albums had, and more. There are still raging thrashers that are sure to cause some total war such as "Living Weapon," "Treacherous Tongue," and "Savagery." All of these tracks are full of awesome riffage, but the best part of each of them is the way the songs are structured, something Warbringer has always done well. One minute you're thrashing along with a fast riff and then the next a brutal, heavy riff comes in that sends you into a headbanging trance. Along with these songs, there are the tracks that carry on the death/thrash sound that was established on "Waking Into Nightmares," with "Shattered Like Glass" being a perfect example. The same hard hitting thrash riffs, mixed with some death metal styled riffs for a perfect sound.
But Warbringer has entered new territory as well with this record, with three songs on this record to be exact. "Future Ages Gone," "Echoes From the Void," and "Demonic Ecstasy" are all different from their previous material, and are sure to garner some different responses from their fans. Each of these tracks are pretty different from the others so, let's break them down individually.
"Future Ages Gone" is a nice mid-paced track, but the most intriguing aspect of the song, is how the lyrical content seems to match the actual music. The riffs create an ominous atmosphere that suits the theme of humans becoming obselete to machines extremely well. This isn't exactly Warbringer's greatest moment and the track probably won't be causing much whiplash on the listener, but it is a cool track nonetheless and has some memorable moments.
"Echoes From the Void" is definitely one of the more different tracks on the record, but it is a great track and the experimentation paid off. The song kicks off with a sinister acoustic intro that sets the tone for the rest of the track. After the acoustic guitars are put down a thrashing riff comes in as well as the rapid fire vocals that every Warbringer fan is familiar with, but then the chorus comes in, and it is absolutely chilling. It has an almost black metal ambience to it and it's sure to give the listener goosebumps.
Then there is the album closer, "Demonic Ecstasy." The intro to this track is similar to the main riff in "Shadow From the Tomb." After the chords are gone, in comes a heavier riff and a much slower vocal passage than usual, but is sounds great. Then comes a more melodic riff that resembles Kreator's "Terror Zone." The track then ends with some heavy riffing, accompanied by some whammy madness. Just like "Echoes From the Void," the experimenting in the sound worked out in Warbringer's favor, and there are no complaints to be made.
As great as this album is, it didn't surpass Warbringer's true shining moment, "Waking into Nightmares," but it is still a fantastic album nonetheless and is easily a contender for metal album of the year. There isn't a single bad track but the best are definitely "Shattered Like Glass," "Echoes From the Void," "Savagery," and "Demonic Ecstasy."
Be sure to like Warbringer's Facebook page to stay updated and catch them on their first headlining tour!
http://www.facebook.com/Warbringermusic
Final Rating - 4.6/5 or 92%.
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