Warpath

Damnation

Self Financed 2008

The new upstarts within the UK's thrash scene, Warpath finally deliver on their promise as Terrorizer Mag's best unsigned band.  Their debut album, Damnation,  features mid-tempo, groove-heavy thrash with a considerable amount of power and poise.  A thick and brawny take on old school thrash is what confronts the listener from the opening notes of the title-track.  Testament influences creep in on the beginning stages of Infernal but galloping drumming and groovier riffing soon overwhelm everything.  The thick bass guitar exudes sheer confidence towards the song's middle.  Groove oriented songs with muscular power, veering towards Meliah Rage and Wargasm confront you like a mugger in a dark alley on Spitting Blood.  Chunky riffs and a bouncing drum line mete out punishment somewhat along the lines of a less melodic Artillery on Face to Face.  W.M.D. is exactly as its name implies, a destructive force, snapping necks with precision drumming, an alternating sprint of speedy riffs and grooving breakdowns that brings to mind some Oppressing the Masses era Vio-lence.  Finally this unbridled mosh fest reaches a climax on Expendable Forces as deft guitar solos are consumed by a Dark Angel speed frenzy on the guitar before the track slows down and erupts with more fretwork excess.  The Atrophy influence becomes more readily recognizable on this track as I hear echoes of Puppies and Friends.  At most times Damnation reminds me of mid tempo Bay Area influenced thrash somewhere between Atrophy and Vio-lence with hints of Testament lurking on the fringes.  While not mind-blowing, it certainly is much more interesting and refreshing than the excessive Exodus worship that has been going on with most of their contemporaries.  Warpath breaths modern life and energy into old school thrash.