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WARKINGS “Armageddon”
WARKINGS “Armageddon”
By Colonel Angus
I first heard WARKINGS at the start of this decade with the “Revolution” album. After a couple of spins, I dismissed the band as a color-by-numbers power metal outfit who brought nothing new to the genre. Well, either I have softened to the band or they have just gotten better because “Armageddon” is a really good album. They still are not reinventing the wheel when it comes to power metal but the songwriting is better and the choruses are catchy as hell.
The record starts off in typical power metal fashion with an intro that sets the tone for the title track. As soon as they launch into the tune, I am immediately tapping my foot and humming along. At just a touch over three minutes, it is gone before you know it but it does leave a lasting impression. They continue with historical concepts on “Genghis Khan” which is naturally about his warriors. The song follows similarly to the previous number with fist pumping rhythms and infectious chorus. This one-two punch right off the bat made me rethink my previous assessment of the band.
As the disk progresses, the quality and strong songwriting continues following a similar formula set forth on the opening numbers. Honestly, they have probably always stuck to the same style but on “Armageddon”, there is an “x-factor” that I feel was missing from “Revolution”. On this group of tunes, WARKINGSperform with such a sense of purpose that it brings the listener along to each historical battle. The riff thumping of “Hangmen's Night” tells of the Knights Templar and their tragic end on Friday the 13th. While not exactly power metal other than the chorus (which again is super catchy), this piece has an almost JUDAS PRIEST-like riff during the verses that stuck out a little from the other material.
If I had to choose a track that made me hit the “repeat” button multiple times is the thrashy “Circle of Witches”. This speedy workout has a very frantic sense to it with the “end is near, end is near” chorus giving the whole affair an urgency. It is the shortest track on the album clocking in at just over two and half minutes and I don’t think it would have benefited with additional length. The one tune I could have left off “Armageddon” is the ballad “Here Comes the Rain”. While the song is fine, well performed (great guitar solo), it halts the fist-pumping energy of the rest of the album. After the power metal battle cry of “Varangoi”, the cinematic balladry of “Here Comes the Rain” brings things to a screeching halt. If I was to re-sequence the tracks, I would have put it at the very end or make it a bonus track.
For those keeping score, this is the same band that recorded “Revolution” with the only difference being the addition of Morgana le Fay. The rest of the band go by warrior monikers like The Tribune, The Viking, The Spartan, and The Crusader. Some might scoff at the names but I’m a KISS fan so these warrior personas feel right at home to me. Besides, it’s the music that counts. “Armageddon”, as a whole, is really good record and aside from the small misstep of a ballad, there is not one bad track on the whole disk. As I mentioned previously, there is something about the material that was absent on the previous album I heard. Whatever it was that they acquired since then, “Armageddon” has benefited greatly making it a record that I would recommend.
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