Warmachine - The Beginning Of The End
|
|
Betrayed |
| Genre | Heavy Metal |
Joe Di Taranto
|
Vocals
|
| Tracks | 11 |
Joe Di Taranto
|
Guitar
|
| Runningtime | 44 Min. |
Mike Miolla
|
Guitar
|
| Label | Nightmare Records |
Andrea Zanini
|
Bass
|
| Release | 03 Feb. 2006 |
Andrew Zenti
|
Drums
|
| Country | Canada |
-
|
Keyboards
|
| Similar artists | Vicious Rumors, Twisted Tower Dire, Jag Panzer | ||
The Canadian band Warmachine has existed since 1994 and after four demos the turn has finally come for the release of their debut album. The Beginning Of The End is a mixture of older songs that has been re-recorded and brand new material. The band is probably totally unknown for most of you but the guest list most certainly isn't. Dave Ellefson (ex-Megadeth) has contributed with some bass parts here and there and he has also co-produced three tracks. Other participant's worth mentioning are Iced Earth guitarist Ralph Santolla and Harem Scarem vocalist Harry Hess.
The musical idea of Warmchine is basically classic heavy metal straight from the 80's updated with a touch of the American version of power metal. You can hear echoes from the NWOBHM-era but also from the early stages of American bands such as Metallica and Megadeth. There are a lot of bands they remind me of but I can't figure out one that sounds exactly the same. The sole reason for this must be that they have collected a lot of inspirations and cooked their very own meal that tastes very good and I can't complain of how it's served either.
This isn't an album that knocks you out right away but it definitely caught my interest from day one. The songs are extremely guitar based with a lot of rhythmical riffs and twin guitar leads to spice it all up. I am also very fond of the certain type of backing vocals that is used on most tracks. In contrast to the distinct lead vocals there is also a high pitched voice soaring in the background which creates a rather unique atmosphere to the vocal melodies. Their song writing is very melodic but the hooks won't grab you instantly but after a couple of spins they have found their way through the maze. This is one of the strongest aspects of Warmachine since I believe that the music they create are not something you get tired of instantly but I think the songs will stand the test of time for quite some time.
I can't say that the entire album is fantastic since a few songs won't grab me in the same way as the best ones but as I said, they are few. There are three tracks that stand out a little bit extra on this release since they are all absolutely fantastic! Empty starts with a riff that is very similar to I Am The Anger by Firewind but after that it is the true sound of the Warmachine with intense riffing, guitar leads and fantastic vocal melodies with nice harmonies and not to forget the melodic guitar solo it is provided with. Forgotten Demise is probably my absolute favourite on The Beginning Of The End and the main reason for that is the marvellous chorus with those awesome vocal harmonies once again and an acoustic guitar in addition to the electrical ones that creates depth to the song. Last but not least I would like to mention Eye For An Eye that is this albums highlight when it comes to guitar riffs and damn, isn't it those vocal harmonies in the chorus again?
In conclusion I must say this was a big surprise for me.
Sure, I thought it was great from the very beginning but not that special
either. Something happened around the fifth listening session and now
I just sit with a smile on my face. Do yourself a favour and check Warmachine
out. When Sweden have crushed Canada in the upcoming Olympic hockey
tournament, the Canadians can at least find comfort in that they are
producing great metal bands of this magnitude.
|
Production
|
Vocals
|
Compositions
|
|
7 |
8 |
8 |
|
Summary
|
||
|
8 chalices of 10 - Hawk |
||
Related links: