When I think progressive, and I doubt I’m alone here, I think LONG songs. It’s not a bad thing, but it definitely took me a lot longer to understand the genius of, ro example, Morningrise than it did Damage Done. Going back to the works of King Crimson, or Rush’s “2112,” the genre is known for building and shifting ideas over the course of a multi-movement arrangement. Apparently, Warforged never got the memo.
From my now distant homeland of Chicago, this group of young musicians seems to be working to redefine what it means to be a progressive metal band. With only 2 singles and a 4 song EP under their belt, Warforged already seem poised to take the scene by storm through a combination of catchy riffs, engaging dynamics, and above all; concise songwriting.
Honestly, their ability to develop progression within small spaces is nothing short of remarkable. Consider “Diabolical Being,” a track that is only 2:05. Within the first minute, Warforged manages to flawlessly move from soothing violin, to an atmospheric guitar line, to all-out prog death metal. And like stumbling into Wayward Pines, time seems to move differently when engrossed in any one of these six songs. I did a serious double-take when I looked up the length of that last track for this review.
Sonically, the band incorporates techniques of greats from across subgenres: BTBAM, Opeth, Meshuggah, etc. But the resulting sound has a bit in common in both riffs and production to newer acts like Born of Osiris as well. This union of the old with the new strikes me as a highly beneficial quality that will attract fans from progressive rock all the way to deathcore. It’s progressive metal that is welcoming without being dumbed down either
And so, I encourage you to check out Warforged’s material today. The two singles are available as Name Your Price, while the EP will run you $3. Not a bad deal when you put them all together. We at Metal Trenches just hope an LP is in the works for the near future. When that happens, you know where to find us.