Review of the Album "War Without End" by American Thrash Metal Band Warbringer
Introduction to the Album "War Without End"
War Without End is the debut album by Ventura, California based thrash metal band Warbringer and those of us that are familiar with the US thrash metal scene know that the scene was at its peak starting in the early 1980’s before taking a back seat to grunge rock starting in the 1990’s. There is a sort of repetition in one of the songs that makes this band sound like a lesser version of German thrash metal legends Tankard.
Warbringer Has Creative Thrash Metal But...
Warbringer bring us creative and melodic thrash metal at the same time but this debut has song titles about war and chaos so for those of you that feel like you will get a queasy stomach taking a look at the song names then skip over this band and listen to something else.
Warbringer Brings Us That Metallica Influence
The first song called Total War lyrically is similar to Metallica’s Disposable Heroes song. The musical and riffing structure reminds me of Exodus and Metallica. The Bay Area has certainly had an impact and it is felt here. War Without End is now over 10 years old, having been released in February 2008 but the lyrical themes match the band’s name.
More Bands Have Influenced These Guys & Who Are They?
Systematic Genocide lyrically is pretty self-explanatory. Throughout history, genocide of certain groups has been swift and immediate. As we get into the third song called Dread Command, the influence of Cannibal Corpse can be felt and even the vocals sound a little bit like the vocalist from the Japanese thrash metal band Fastkill.
Additional Perspective on the Album War Without End
Let’s shift for a moment to another perspective about this album. On the website Metal Storm, one reviewer describes Warbringer like this: “If you’re looking for something "experimental" then search somewhere else, cause these guys read the Thrash Metal rules, followed them, and made an awesome album,” (Reviewer, 2008).
"At the Crack of Doom"
Does Warbringer Bring Thrash Metal That Works? Yes
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that this is an awesome album but it is certainly worthy of merit and consideration.
What are these thrash metal rules that this guest reviewer discussed? If the person meant that Warbringer uses thrash metal aggressively while infusing creative melody, then they passed the test.
"At the Crack of Doom" is a song that breaks with the formula slightly because this is one of the few times that this band uses a soft and slow part but this does not last long as the speed kicks in and there is a low shout. "Beneath the Waves" has a Testament influence to it as the song describes a scenario where the water and the ocean is infested with sharks. Sharks have been known to attack humans with consistency that makes them very terrifying.
Final Thoughts About the Album War Without End
"Born of the Ruins" begins with an early Fates Warning influence but of course this is thrash metal we are talking about. The screams in the vocals do get a little redundant after a while as the same structure dominates in this album. This album is not better than their 4th studio album IV: Empires Collapse but it is good modern thrash metal.
Bibliography
Reviewer, D. G. (2008, June 15). Metal Storm. Retrieved January 22, 2019, from http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=5493
This content reflects the personal opinions of the author. It is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and should not be substituted for impartial fact or advice in legal, political, or personal matters.
© 2019 Ara Vahanian