Swedish thrash power-trio Warfect were formed back in 2003 in Uddevalla. With two EPs to their name, they released their debut effort, ‘Depicting The Macabre’ in late 2009 and since then, have gone on to release another EP and second full length. Now, the Swedes return with ‘Scavengers’, an album which they hope to remind everyone about the fact that Swede’s don’t just do death metal, black metal, power metal and doom, they are also capable of fine thrash. With that said… Grab your battle jackets, your bullet belts and your beers, there’s thrash to be had!
With an opening assault which hits like a cruise missile, “Purveyors Of Cadavers” is every bit the thrash metal track you’d hope for. Venomous and scathing lyrical delivery, riffs and drums faster than a cheetah on PCP and more steroids than a mid-90’s WWE performer pumping in its veins, it, much like Charlie Sheen in his well publicised meltdown a few years back has one speed – Go! Wild and untamed, with wailing solos and rhythms hailing back to the period of time when Slayer could actually write a half decent guitar solo, it’s a fantastic way to open up the album. “Reptile” follows hot on its heels and keeps the intensity at boiling point. With a rapid pace once again, the riffs hit hard, switching between piercing pedal tones and twisting chord shifts in the verse before the traditional gallop feel for the choruses. Vocally, it’s a lot rawer, running along similar sounds to that of The Haunted now they have Marcus Aro back on the mic and even when it slows down, it still has that classic thrash feel to it with the simple but hook laden riffs and a blistering solo.
“Anatomy Of Evil” has a frantic feel to the opening with borderline blasting drums, lightning quick riffs and a real booming bassline. The thunderous feel musically is complimented by the harsh vocal approach and the vocal roars in the chorus really shine out for how primal they feel and sound. It’s got the rapid delivery but the beauty of this track is in the mid-section. A real hard hitting groove laden riff fest, perfect for headbanging, windmilling or pitting to. “Watchtowers” slows things down a gear, sacrificing the speed for a solid and heavy as hell groove. Chunky and heavy, the rhythm line and bass have some serious weight to them and the cutting lead lines add a slight ominous vibe, making for a different kind of intense to the intensity offered so far and despite the odd bit where it speeds up, this one firmly retains its roots in the heavy groove which runs throughout it.
“Suffocate The Chosen” plays out like something from the mid 80’s Slayer playbook with its speed, sound and gratuitous servings of riffs and wild, chaotic and seemingly structure-free solo towards the end of the track whilst “Predators” which follows it up has a more modern edge to it, sounding a lot like promising Teutonic thrashers Dust Bolt but with more of a death metal undertone to it with the sheer speed of the delivery, making it a truly intimidating track. “The Resurectionists” has a real thick bassline and great building intro before taking things a lot slower, dipping back to the heavy groove once more to break things up a little. However, as you would expect by now, the wild thrash lead section kicks it up several years before returning to the hard hitting groove to cap it off.
The home stretch of this 53 minute thrash offering begins with “Skin Bound”, a punishingly heavy onslaught of quick paced riffery and intensity which despite a lacklustre atmospheric section towards the end which throws the pace off, recovers well to hit hard for the ending. “Evil Inn” is your typical ominous thrash song. With the big atmospheric, building intro setting the scene, it slowly crawls out of the darkness, staying at an agonizingly slow pace for the majority with some real atonal moments which help the uneasy feel and sound to persist throughout, serving as a great way to show just what the guys are capable off when speed isn’t involved. “Savaged By Wolves” is your classic 80’s thrash track, no question about it. The galloping feel, cutting guitars and rapid pace just screams out as a nod of respect to bands like Destruction, Sodom, Overkill and Sacred Reich with the hard hitting riffs and blistering paced riffs. Quick as fuck, lapsing into brisk grooves when called for, it serves as a great wake up after the previous track and sets up the album closer rather well. “Into The Crypt” is another ominous sounding track, but unfortunately, it is an instrumental closer. Slow, unsettling and oddly melodic initially, the slightly drone like feel of the riffs and hypnotic lead lead you towards a shift to classical guitar melodies which ring out with a rich sound and intricate delivery before it fades into silence to end the album, and part of me instantly wishes that the release stopped after “Savaged By Wolves”.
Overall, “Scavangers” is fantastic. With the band handling production themselves, they have put a great effort in, and it is reflected in the music on offer. Sure, the last track kind of kills the vibe a bit and because I was greatly enjoying this release, it is a bit of a mood killer, which makes what could have been a stunning album, simply a really good offering of thrash… Still, It’s better than anything Metallica have released since 1989!
(7/10 Fraggle)
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