WARSENAL “Barn Burner” /CD/

The debut full-length album by Canadian Thrash/Speed Metal band.
There will always be a portion of any modern Thrash Metal bands that is compared to the Golden Age of the 1980s. Thrash was just such a pivotal force in that era that those comparisons are going to be made. Some bands resist it, others embrace it, and in the case of Warsenal, they desperately try to recreate it. As soon as this album kicks off it is quite obvious that this band so desperately wants to recreate that chaotic and raw sound of early Thrash albums that they are willing to sacrifice many of the solid evolutionary steps that occurred between 1985 and 2015.
Warsenal never stops going 200 miles per hour of endless Punky leads, riffs out the ass, and drums that sort of meld with one another. It also has the quintessential snarling/shouty vocals that were a dime a dozen back in the day. In a way, it’s almost impressive just how Old School Warsenal took this record and when it works, like on the restrained “Stab You One by One” or “Let Me Out” then the band showcase what might have been a sense of direction.
The first track “Dying on Stage” is a typical Speed/Trash Metal song with generic lyrics, presented at a faster than hell pace. The track had a lot of Megadeth’s “Holy Wars…” influences, albeit with a dirty and poor instrumental take on it. “Hit’ n’ Run” sounds like a demo from Metallica singing with a teenager who loves Dave Mustaine. “Conquer” is like a “Hit’ n’ Run” continuation with a speed solo. And “Stab You One By One” starts off with an impressionistic riff and cadence. “Unstoppable” starts with the same feeling as the earlier songs, with a chorus shouted by what sounds like all the band members combined. The two last songs have the all-the-same-song feel to them like the others: speed riffs, hash vocals a-la “Kill ‘Em All” style, and overall give the listener nostalgia about "that times".
Highly recommended for fans of early Metallica and Megadeth!
Punishment 18 Records, 2015 (P18R 101). Made in Italy. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Dying On Stage 2:42 
2. Let Me Out 4:36 
3. Hit 'n' Run 2:56 
4. Conquer 3:46 
5. Stab You One By One 3:56 
6. Unstoppable 4:52 
7. Wars 4:23 
8. Nightstalker 4:27 
9. Minefield Game 4:23
Total playing time: 35:55


Samples: https://warsenal.bandcamp.com