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Warbringer’s third studio effort Worlds Torn Asunder could be summed up in two words: thrash metal. It may appear overly simplistic, but honestly, if you have even a passing knowledge of the Bay Area scene and a fleeting familiarity with the early days of the Big Four, you know exactly what this sounds like.

That in itself is no criticism of the Californian quintet; more a word of warning that anyone seeking a new twist on classic thrash will be better off looking elsewhere as every last note, fill and scream on these ten tracks owes its very existence to the likes of Forbidden, Heathen and – in particular – Exodus.


The Big Four influence comes mainly in the shape of the Anthrax-style rhythmic stomp that dominates tracks such as “Shattered Like Glass,” while the very title of “Wake Up...Destroy” suggests a love of early Megadeth and Metallica which is confirmed with a riff straight from Hetfield’s school of “Seek And Destroy.”

Many of the leads prompt comparisons to the work of King and Hanneman in Slayer and as a unit, Warbringer is clearly a talented outfit. The worry is that no matter how faithful their re-creation of a classic sound and regardless of how much they clearly love their brand of thrash, the material is just far too derivative of what has gone before – especially when the majority of the bands that did this the first time round are still very much going concerns.

In isolation, Worlds Torn Asunder is a decent, solid and enjoyable thrash metal album. In the wider context of a blossoming metal scene in which new bands are constantly pushing the boundaries and veteran acts like are still capable of delivering the goods, it lacks the character and flair to stand out in an already over-subscribed pack.

(released September 27, 2011 on Century Media Records)



Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.