WARBRINGER – Wrath And Ruin (Album Review)

Thrash metal gets medieval.

For a little over two decades, the resurgence of old school thrash metal has brought the proverbial thunder back to the underground, ebbing and flowing to varying degrees, but always present for those whom crave the art of the almighty riff distilled to its greatest potency. At the forefront of this revival of the same hybrid of classic heavy metal stylings with the unfettered attitude and aggression of hardcore punk that Metallica and Slayer first unleashed upon the San Francisco Bay Area are Ventura, California natives Warbringer.

Combining the old school fervor and virtuosic intrigue of Testament and Exodus with the harrowing, near death metal-like aggression of Demolition Hammer and Kreator, theirs has been a niche that has waxed a bit more modern than conservative adherents of the 2000s retro-thrash wave such as Evile and Bonded By Blood, but they’ve always been uncompromising in their commitment to preserving the fundamentals of the sub-genre and their latest studio entry Wrath and Ruin is no exception.

Though a band dogged by frequent lineup changes that has left vocalist John Kevill and drummer turned guitarist Adam Carroll as the lone founding members of this quintet, a sense of stability has emerged just before the release of their previous and 2020 opus Weapons Of Tomorrow. On top of the gut-wrenching screams and shouts of Kevill and the neck-destroying riff work and Gary Holt-inspired shred fests of Carroll, fellow axe man Chase Becker (whom has been lighting up the fret board with Exmortus for almost as long) and the bombastic rhythm section comprised of bassist Chase Bryant and drummer/scene veteran Carlos Cruz form a titanic synchronicity of power that could sink any ice berg in its path.

Such colossal feats of modern thrashing brilliance as Exodus’ Persona Non Grata and Power Trip’s Nightmare Logic could be treated as points of comparison to this album’s massive production and unrelentingly furious character, though the wild dueling lead work of Carroll/Becker and the flashy bass gymnastics out of Bryant take it more than a few steps further.

True to the lofty blend of medieval extravagance and modern brutalism adorning the album art, Wrath And Ruin walks a fine line between pure auditory carnage and an almost grandiose sense of melody. The opening thrill ride “The Sword And The Cross” begins on an almost Manowar-like sense of fanfare befitting a crusader’s anthem, only to gradually build up and explode into a mad-thrashing extravaganza. Above the fray of riffs and rapid fire drumming, Kevill’s distorted shouts could be likened to the maddened raving of a berserker that is somehow clad in plate-mail armor and carrying the Christian standard while charging into battle.

Throughout its 6-minute duration, it just walks a brilliant line between grandeur and rage, seamlessly transitioning from a runaway train to a mid-paced crusher and back again, searing itself into the memory of any within earshot of it. Subsequent entries like “A Better World” and “Jackhammer” manage to accomplish a similar sense of grandiosity while being little more than half the length and sticking mostly to a fast-paced frenzy of pit-friendly mayhem.

Though Warbringer is generally a band that keeps to the impact-based side of the thrash coin, this album is not wholly averse to playing in atmospheric territory and slowing things down for a change of pace. Following a haunting clean intro, the slow-paced trudge of “Through A Glass, Darkly” showcases a band that is no less extreme in presentation despite pulling back on the tempo and throwing more tasteful melodic elements into the instrumentation to soften the fury of Kevill’s borderline death metal vocalizations.

The extended anthem “Cage Of Air” takes the same general concept into even darker territory, beginning on a dreary acoustic guitar dirge before launching into a blackened mode of thrashing that is generally fast-paced but often painted over with tremolo-based riffing to throw in a dense, hazy aesthetic to complement the moments of vertebrae-destroying heaviness. The final hurrah of this 8 song cycle “The Last Of My Kind” leans back a bit closer to a pure thrashing experience, albeit one that begins with a sorrowful piano intro and throwing in recurring blast beats and layered acoustic lines to achieve a maddened melodic death metal shtick to accompany the pummeling riff work.

There is something to be said for sticking to what works, as well as for evolving one’s sound to keep things fresh, and Wrath And Ruin is one of those albums that manages to accomplish both while sacrificing nothing save for a few thousand infidels on the battlefield. It’s the sort of prime cut thrash that embodies the sub-genre’s apex period during the mid to late 1980s when the likes of Death Angel, Exodus, Slayer and Kreator were unleashing their most classic material, but also sounds wholly appropriate for the mid-2020s from its modern production to its more eclectic array of influences.

It packs a slight bit less of a punch compared to the insane display of power that transpired on Weapons Of Tomorrow, but is generally of the same caliber and stands tall among a high consistent discography that now boasts 7 LPs and a few additional odds and ends. This time around the mosh pit goes back to the 1100s and comes with helmet-clad heads banging against shirts of solid metal, and it’s a good thing too given that this album hits like a spiked flail followed by a storm of arrows.

Released By: Napalm Records
Release Date: March 14th, 2025
Genre: Thrash Metal

Musicians:

• John Kevill / Vocals, guitars
• Adam Carroll / Drums
• Chase Becker / Guitars
• Chase Bryant / Bass
• Carlos Cruz / Drums

Wrath And Ruin Track-Listing:

1. The Sword And The Cross
2. A Better World
3. Neuromancer
4. The Jackhammer
5. Through A Glass, Darkly
6. Strike From The Sky
7. Cage Of Air
8. The Last of My Kind

Order Wrath And Ruin here and check out Napalm Records exclusives here.