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vote
7.5
- Bands:
WARLORD - Duration: 00:54:13
- Available from: 10/05/2024
- Label:
-
High Roller Records
Streaming not yet available
Finally the time has come to take stock of the new studio work by the iconic American epic metallers Warlord, around which more than a few controversies have been generated within the panorama of metal music enthusiasts, also due to the desire to part of drummer Mark Zonder to keep the band going. A decision also accompanied by the desire to put a new album on the market, although it would be correct to admit that, to avoid any misunderstanding, it has never been hidden from the fact that the vast majority of the compositions find their origins in what was written and composed by the late guitarist and founder William J. Tsamis, who according to the album's credits continues to be the authentic protagonist of the final result.
However you want to see it, we choose to keep the focus on the music as always, and if we talk about naked and pure quality we feel like saying that Warlord have hit the mark again with this “Free Spirit Soar”, of which we have already analyzed the tracks in detail in the track-by-track published some time ago.
Wanting to give a general overview, also aimed at summarizing our considerations, we can say that we are in the presence of a product that corresponds perfectly to what a fan might want from the Californian reality, with all the various nuances of the case: there are cadenced phases and with an evocative and poetic appearance, which we can say represent the majority of what is proposed, but also parentheses in which the more old-school power metal flair emerges forcefully, leading the listener to exalt himself as at the time of the release of the single “Conquerors ”.
Although, as already mentioned, we believe the award for the best song of the package should go to “The Bell Tolls”, as we believe it embodies exactly the essence of an epic and fiery piece, but at the same time catchy and almost relaxed in its solutions .
However, what really conquers is the obsessive care placed in the melodic sector and in the vocal lines, put into practice by the talented Giles Lavery behind the microphone, who becomes the interpreter and ambassador of a refined and captivating style with which to create parts sung all over inside a heavy metal album, with a result that we would define as rare and classy, to say the least, especially looking at the contemporary panorama.
Similarly, the production also appears authentic, genuine and representative of what should be the perfect compromise between the old school sound and the cleanliness required for a work dated 2024; indeed, we believe that many younger bands should draw from this same inkwell to understand what the priorities should be, at least in terms of general sound performance.
However, it is not an impeccable job: the use of keyboards in some phases seemed slightly too present to us, just as we cannot help but notice a couple of slight isolated drops in involvement and pathos, and among these we could cite for example a still good, albeit musically a bit honeyed, “The Rider”, or a “Worms Of The Earth”, pleasant but less effective, especially if placed between two authentic hits such as the title track and the aforementioned “Conquerors ”.
Despite the few defects and possible perplexities given by the band's situation, we believe that “Free Spirit Soar” has little to envy from its predecessors, and that there is no real reason why one shouldn't try listening, perhaps even purchasing some a copy and keeping an eye on the tour dates, as we believe the real test will be when the new songs are performed live on a stage.
Furthermore, it is good to remember that certain realities will not last forever, and as long as they put music of this level on the market it would be good to continue to keep our attention towards them.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM