Friday, December 16, 2011

#36: Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder

I was a little late to the metal party. I didn't start listening to metal in earnest til the mid-late 90's. Therefore, I missed most of the original thrash movement. (Aside from The Big 4) So a few years ago when this new generation of thrash emerged, I was able to grab on without much of a reference point. Bands like Early Man, Blood Tsunami, Toxic Holocaust, Evile, Havok and Warbringer have captured me as I imagine Testament, Exodus, etc would have had I been exposed to them back in the 80's. So it should come as no surprise that Worlds Torn Asunder (Century Media) is one of my favourite thrash releases of 2011. It offers up everything I love about thrash. It's fast. It's precise. It's catchy. The energy level and aggression really gets the blood pumping. When I listen to Warbringer, my steering wheel takes a beating, dinner takes longer to prepare (island moshing and air guitar again!) and my (infrequent) workouts get more intense. Basically, it takes regular things and makes them better. That's awesome! Because for me, listening to thrash is supposed to be fun. Worlds Torn Asunder may not open new dimensions but the worlds it tears apart are those of classic Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. A Slayer moon might get in the way and in the process an Exodus comet gets captured. Warbringer takes that riffage, those phrasings, the solos, the tones, attitude and the drive of those bands and creates their own world. A world of blistering, hard driving, excellently executed thrash topped by what for me, is the dealmaker. John Kevill's vocals. One of the best vocalists of the new young thrash bands. I'll tell you, I'm a pacifist, but Worlds Torn Asunder is a war I'd be happy to bring.

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