Warbringer Wrath and Ruin CD Review

“Nothing left to say, swing the hammer away!”

When speaking about some of the best modern day thrash bands, undeniably bands like Havok, Hatchet and Warbringer are at the top of the list. There are elements that these bands tap into that celebrate the classic sound but also add their own unique influences that really make their sound something special. And while we saw the release of EPs from two of the aforementioned bands in 2024, this year we’ve been blessed with the full-length album ‘Wrath and Ruin’ from Warbringer, their first new album in almost 5 years.

I can attest that ‘Wrath and Ruin’ was well worth the wait. I’ve been listening to it incessantly for days and cannot bring myself to change the album to something else I should be listening to for review. This album bludgeons you with its aggressive speed and technicality and presents insightful lyrics that reflect the landscape of reality many people are facing (e.g., “A Better World”, “Cage of Air” and “The Sword and the Cross”). There is no shortage of blazing guitar solos and some truly phenomenal bass work, but “Strike from the Sky”, “Neuromancer” and “The Last of My Kind” are my favorite efforts. If I was forced to pick a favorite track, I’d have to go with “Strike from the Sky”. It’s a tribute to Bay Area thrash that reminds me of an interesting combination of Exodus and Toxic Holocaust. Yes, I am aware that Toxic Holocaust aren’t from the Bay Area. Currently, this is one of my favorite albums of the year and it’ll be a hell of a task for any of the releases this year to kick it off my top 10.

~TJ