Spring is coming to the Northern Hemisphere as the temperatures start to rise. The bar for the coveted Album of the Year continues to rise as more music is released weekly. Thrash stalwarts, Warbringer, take their shot at the crown with their seventh full-length, Wrath and Ruin (Napalm Records). Each album the California-based group releases builds upon their last release, continuously pushing the boundaries of their brand of thrash metal. For forty minutes, John Kevill and company command your attention as their riff-powered tank tramples the mangled corpses of the fallen.
“The Sword and The Cross” jumpstarts Wrath and Ruin with little room to breathe as the speed and aggression are already at the ceiling. The lyrics follow the commands of a Crusader, pushing their religious beliefs on others and killing those who do not comply. Halfway through is a well-placed and paced breakdown before a tasty guitar solo leading back to the main riff.
While there are plenty of fast, burner tracks on this record, “Neuromancer” provides a nice break in the action. It turns down the tempo slightly and then pours gas on the fire of aggression. Arguably the heaviest track on the record, it is still very much a Warbringer track, cemented at the bridge when the tempo is turned back up before crashing back down to Earth for the ending.
The standout track on Wrath and Ruin has to be “Cage of Air” as Warbringer dips into black metal influences to make for a really interesting track towards the end of the album. There are moments where the guitar riffs hit tremolo speeds and there is certainly an increase in blast beats as well. The buildup in the second half of the track opens up into an atmospheric black metal passage that may be one of the most epic riffs the band has written to date.
From cover to cover, Warbringer has once again delivered in the form of Wrath and Ruin. Watching this band continuously evolve their sound while staying true to their foundations is truly a privilege and most of us will not realize it until well after they play their last song.
Buy the album here
https://lnk.to/Warbringer-WrathAndRuin/napalmrecords
9 / 10
TIM LEDIN
Follow Tim’s work here: