In the early nineties Warpath was one of my favorite German bands. Why? Just because they were different from the lot. Their mix of thrash, death, hardcore and some doom was something quite unique in my ears. Their debut When War Begins…Truth Disappears, I still listen to on a regular base. The next three albums were heavier and more brutal than the debut, but still with a unique sound. After Kill Your Enemy in 1996 the band went on hiatus. Now they are back with a complete new line-up, only Dirk Weiss (vocals) is still around. That he still is the singer is in my eyes the only chance for the band to make a difference. He has a very recognizable voice, which is very special. His style is one of the things that makes me like the first albums. His voice is a kind of mix of Peter Steele in his Carnivore period and Jan Chris de Koeyer (Gorefest).
On this new album they just went on where they stopped back in 1996. The sound is a bit more modern, but the straight in your face sound of thrash, hardcore, death and doom is still there. ‘Reborn’ opens brutal and fast with the typical singing style of Dirk. They immediately convince me that the band is still as good as in their early years. Just when I thought the song was going to repeat itself, the music slows down to an almost doomy tempo. This variety in tempo and styles is most interesting. The groove of ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Believe’ combined with the speed of the opening track, ‘Unseen Enemy’ and ‘No One Can Kill Us’ and the doom of ‘Crossing’ form a contrast, but it works. The only thing I have to carp on is that they still sound a lot like how they left the scene in 1996. There is almost no development and for fans in their early years this will not be a problem. If they will conquer a lot of new fans…. time will tell. My personal favorite is besides the opener, ‘No More Time To Bleed’, a real thrash song with a very jumpy riff and beat.
If you are not familiar with the band, but want to try a mix of Carnivore, Gorefest, Pro-Pain and Type O Negative (title track), check this out!
Tracklist:
01. Reborn
02. I Don’t Care
03. Believe
04. When War Begins
05. Unseen Enemy
06. No One Can Kill Us
07. Crossing
08. Offensive Behaviour (Born To Be Real)
09. God Is Dead
10. No More Time To Bleed….(Thrashunion)
11. The Liar Knows the Truth
12. Bullets For A Desert Session
Playing time: 61:14
Release date: 13 January 2017
Label: Massacre Records
Website: www.facebook.com/warpathhamburg
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