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artist: Warbringer
title: Wrath and Ruin
year: 2025
genre: Thrash Metal
type: Album
label: Napalm Records
language: English
rel. date: 2025-03-14
source: WEB/MP3
quality: CBR 320kbps / 44.1 kHz / Full Stereo
runtime: 01:53:08
size: 272.03MB
rip date: 2025-03-13
source url: http://deezer.com/album/685323741
tracklist:
1 / 2
-----
1. The Sword And The Cross 6:07
2. A Better World 3:45
3. Neuromancer 5:27
4. The Jackhammer 3:14
5. Through A Glass, Darkly 4:58
6. Strike From The Sky 3:44
7. Cage Of Air 6:49
8. The Last of My Kind 6:01
2 / 2
-----
1. Firepower Kills (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 5:45
2. The Black Hand Reaches Out (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 4:21
7th, 2023)
3. Crushed Beneath the Tracks (Live in Nantes, France - April 4:16
20th, 2023)
4. Living Weapon (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 4:49
5. Woe to the Vanquished (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 4:43
2023)
6. Living in a Whirlwind (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 4:05
2023)
7. Guitar Solo/ Outer Reaches (Live in Nantes, France - April 5:14
20th, 2023)
8. Shellfire (Live in Munich, Germany - April 5th, 2023) 4:07
9. Descending Blade (Live in Krakow, Poland - April 4th, 2023) 4:54
10. Hunter-Seeker (Live in Krakow, Poland - April 4th, 2023) 4:17
11. Defiance of Fate (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 7:11
12. Silhouettes (Live in Nantes, France - April 20th, 2023) 4:34
13. Remain Violent (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 4:02
14. Combat Shock (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 5:17
15. Total War (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023) 5:28
release notes:
Warbringer are one of the few re-thrash acts of the aughts to have
genuine staying power, starting life in 2008 and still going some 17
years on. As with any modern thrash act, however, their output has
been somewhat inconsistent. Albums like IV: Empires Collapse and 2020s
Weapons of Tomorrow were enjoyable slabs of speed; other albums had
issues that held them back to one degree or another. In truth, though
I highly rated Weapons of Tomorrow when it dropped, I donÆt go back to
it all that much, and it didnÆt even end up on my Top Ten(ish) for
2020. Overrating may have happened, but itÆs a fun thrash platter
nonetheless. I hoped for more of the same on 7th album, Wrath and
Ruin.1 With the same lineup in place, the band keeps things fast and
loud but take a number of chances, stretching their wings to tackle a
few epic and more proggy styles along the way. Whether thatÆs what you
want in a thrash album is a matter of personal taste, so let me tell
you about mine.
Things open with one of these newfangled epic cuts, ôThe Sword and the
Cross,ö and itÆs an interesting blend of their classic thrash sound
and something approaching trve metal with blackened elements tossed in
the cauldron for added might and mayhem. ItÆs aggressive and angry
with some high flying guitar pyrotecnics giving it an elevated sense
of scope and grandeur. John Kevill chews on the scenery throughout,
delivering a commanding vocal performance full of macho machismo, and
though the song runs a touch long at 6 minutes, itÆs a mostly
successful experiment. ôThrough a Glass, Darklyö takes the epic
experiment even further, going for straight-up Primordial worship and
somehow making it work for them. This one sounds like a lost track
from To the Nameless Dead, and thatÆs a compliment I didnÆt expect to
be offering up here. The standout moment, however, comes on the
adventurous ôCage of Air,ö where Warbringer attempts to wedge Opethian
vibes into their thrash template. Over the songÆs nearly 7 minutes,
the band marries thrash and black elements and play with varying moods
and textures in a way you wouldnÆt necessarily expect from a bunch of
unwashed thrash fiends. ItÆs quite a revelation that it comes out as
interesting as it does.
Oddly enough, itÆs the straight-up thrashers that let the band down
this time. Both ôA Better Worldö and ôNeuromancerö feel underwhelming
and cut-and-paste. They arenÆt terrible tracks, but they donÆt really
engage my attention in a meaningful way. ôThe Jackhammerö is a bit
better with fun little vinettes and some satisfying riffs, but it too
is less that essential. Of the thrash selections, ôStrike from the
Skyö is the clear standout, offering an adrenaline-soaked rip ride
full of nasty riffs and screaming vocals. Things wind out with ôThe
Last of My Kind,ö which tries to marry their thrash foundation with
the newly ambitious writing, and it works up to a point before being
bogged down by too much added padding and losing the plot. The overall
package delivered on Wrath and Ruin is an inconsistent and erratic
one. It sounds like a band trying to redefine themselves and break
through into a new sound, and theyÆre only partially successful at
getting there. At 40 minutes, the album isnÆt too long, but the
presence of multiple 6-plus minute tracks with varying degrees of
bloat makes the whole feel fatter than it is.
Guitarists Adam Carroll and Chase Becker push themselves to meet the
expanded scope of the material, and they do a solid job. They deliver
some compelling moments on cuts like Through a Glass, Darklyö and
ôCage of Airö and show themselves to be quite versatile. However,
their thrash riffs and harmonies feel a bit underbaked this time out.
John Kevill also does his best to push his vocals into new places to
meet the moment of the bigger, broader material. Though heÆs a
somewhat limited vocalist, he does enough to sell the bigger set
pieces, even approximating PrimordialÆs A.A. Nemtheanga at times.
Warbringer always had talent and ability, but the writing here is too
inconsistent and going in too many directions to fully gel and click.
Perhaps this is WarbringerÆs transition into a new style of sorts, and
if so, itÆs not entirely unsuccessful. There are some interesting
moments here and a few solid tracks to sink your teeth into. It just
doesnÆt come together as a cohesive whole for me, and I donÆt see this
as an album IÆll be returning to much in the future when I need a dose
of speed and ôFuck Youö attitude. You canÆt win all the wars you
bring, though.