Warzaw

Warzaw, Black Magic Satellite (2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , ,

Norwegian metalheads Warzaw release their second album of 2021, Black Magic Satellite.

At the beginning of this year, Warzaw unleashed Werewolves On Wheels, a full-length 1980s-metal-inspired album that brought an enormous amount of heavy metal joy. Now they are back to close the year out with an all new long-player, Black Magic Satellite. Points for diligence and hard work. More importantly, the new one branches out a little more than Werewolves did while staying in the broad lane of banging heavy metal. The musicians who make up Warzaw are Daniel Rønning (vocals), Håvard Alvarez (guitar), Trond Jullumstrø (guitar and bass), and Mats Sødahl (drums).

“Santa Mira” gets things going on this eleven track set. It crackles with energy and pace, and offers up an satisfyingly digestible chorus. The melody takes hold of you with hot hands and stands you up for the excellent lead break. This song rips. “Fierce Attitude” comes next, and it is also speedy, plus a little more grizzly. The tempo shifts slightly on the third track, “Send My Regards,” toward the center lane, retaining the heaviness of its predecessors while mixing things up a bit. The lyrics here are rougher, the lead break more raw; a flexing juxtaposition.

Throughout the album, the standard hard rock set-up frames the compositions and deploys that reliable familiarity. The surety of this position allows the band to rub confidently its own scent in every crease and crevice of each song. Other stand-out tracks for me are “Circular Talk” and the closer, “Sabres of Flesh and Blood.” There is not a weak one in the bunch.

This album is every bit as good as Werewolves, and it pledges a bright future for the next one. I really like this band. Recommended.

Black Magic Satellite is out tomorrow, December 31st. Listen to it on Spotify or search the ether for a place to buy the digital album.

Links.

Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pJZWxMzv2TwO99Y3HIDFb

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/warzawband

YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxg45Ijq7UkZQ-37lc0jxQ

FFMB Werewolves On Wheels review, https://flyingfiddlesticks.com/2021/02/11/warzaw-werewolves-on-wheels-2021/

Warzaw, Black Magic Satellite (2021)

Warzaw, Werewolves On Wheels (2021)

Wayne Edwards, , , ,

The Trøndelag, Norway four piece throw-back metal band Warzaw rips a new one out.

There are/have been a number of bands and albums with the title “Werewolves On Wheels” running around out there over the years. This one is from Norway and is made up of Daniel Rønning (vocals), Håvard Alvarez (guitar), Trond Jullumstrø (guitar and bass), and Mats Sødahl (drums). The stated goal of these seasoned professionals is to “make energetic, riff-packed music reminiscent of the glory days of 80s heavy metal.” I am down with that.

Werewolves On Wheels has eleven songs with tongue-in-cheek themes and good-time metal riffs and melodies. The title tracks starts things off with a high-voltage up-tempo riff and a howl of party energy. A great lead shred lands just past the middle, where it belongs, and is followed up with an immediate second one. Bonus. “The Second Banana” comes next, picking up the flag and waving it at the other side of the stadium. It puts me in mind of Alcatrazz a little, maybe a little bit of Blue Murder (but less serious). What they are doing is what they said they wanted to do – lay down some great catchy riffs in the same vein as all those 80s bands, many of which we’ve lost to our degraded memories. Every song on the album is a new crack and they are all razor sharp.

I really like this album. Keep in mind that the style is just the starting point – they still have to write and perform the music. While the themes Warzaw is working with here are meant to be on the light side, the music rides on iron rails. The riffs and rhythms are creative and the playing is impeccable. Rønning’s voice would have worked back them and it is perfect now for this new metal. Count me in. Recommended.

Werewolves On Wheels is out now and available on Spotify. I am not sure if there is any way to actually buy this or not, but you can certainly stream it for free. I have added the YouTube link below as well so you can check out the videos.

Links.

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/warzawband

YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxg45Ijq7UkZQ-37lc0jxQ

Spotify, https://open.spotify.com/album/6uaM8PL3elIV86lz9x1bmS?si=qZlCm3tMRtiK0ugVHP288A

Warzaw, Werewolves On Wheels (2021)