War Without End

Good things have been said about this band. Acclaim so high, I figured I couldn't go wrong.

The excessively generic (and poor) presentation, and lyrics didn't help to pique my interest, but when people claim they're some kind of flagship for the new thrash wave, I couldn't pass them up. But now I assert that I flat out disagree with that silly statement. If this is the best the new wave of thrash has to offer, I think I'll invest my time elsewhere.

First and foremost, the greatest problem here is that it feels like they're trying too hard. Most of the material just feels forced, and the riffs just don't stick. This sound that blends the Teutonic sound and Bay area sound, seems to me to be just a blending of stolen Municipal Waste riffs with stolen Kreator riffs. Not what I’d call impressive.

The drumming is fast but sloppy. The vocals are your standard fare. The lead guitar work is almost laughably generic. The guitarist goes through the motions with some simple hammer-ons and running some scales. I don't get how this poor guitar work passes as being some masterful melodic element to the music. I also don't see this as being necessarily very "intense". From what I've heard I really, really excepted to start killing people with headbutts as soon as I heard it, but it was at first and still remains, underwhelming. It's not because the band plays slow or sluggish - it's because the riffs just don't feel powerful. The riffs are just ... not very good. If you want thrash that'll inspire you to rip people's faces off, Hypnosia and Fastkill spring to mind. But don't bother with this if you're looking for something truly intense.

The only standout track I see is Born of the Ruins which does start with a very cool, melodic riff, probably one of only a few good riffs to be found here.

So, the band plays fast, generic thrash, with generic guitar work, stolen Kreator and Municiple Waste riffs, and some of the most bland, boring lyrics I've seen in a while. Flagship of the new thrash movement? Let's hope not. Nice background music? Maybe.