The Pitch: Ripping, no-nonsense blackened thrash metal from Poland's Warfist. FFO: Venom, Destroyer 666, Bathory (early)
What I Like: This is going to sound like sacrilege, but Warfist sounds like what I wish Venom sounded like. Now I enjoy me some early Venom and recognize Cronos' importance to both the black and thrash metal scenes, but to be completely honest there's not really a Venom album that I truly love from start to finish. Grünberger changes all of that. With similar grimy, blackened vocals and some serious thrash-heavy riffage, Warfist carry on as if the 80's never ended. Infinite hooks and a flawless performance on the drums make nearly every track on this album shine forth like the diamond in the rough that it is. Seriously, take a moment to listen to the work on the kit on tracks like "Death by the Cleansing Fire." The shifting kick patterns and glorious tom fills have me air-drumming all over the place. I raged all the way to work listening to this monster.
Critiques: I think that this album would be even stronger without the (comparatively) slower tracks like "The Chapel of Death." Nothing makes me necessarily want to hit the skip button, but I can't shake the feeling that this would be perfection if it trimmed down to a lean 30 minutes.
The Verdict: I'm always looking for the latest "high art" album with the crazy new ideas... but I also live for moments where bands like Warfist barrel through with the hit and run. So few nail this old school approach well enough to really catch my interest, so all the more reason to pay your respects to the dark, thrashing fury of Grünberger.
Flight's Fav's: Death by the Cleansing Fire, Slay, Swive and Devour, Grunberger (Drinking with the Devil)
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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