Rough Edge: Grief of War CD Reviews

GRIEF OF WAR

"Worship" (Prosthetic; 2009)

Reviewed by Spudbeast

Nearly twenty years after groove and grunge all but ended thrash metal, we were blessed with a revival that includes some of the best bands around, including Municipal Waste, Skeletonwtich, and Havok. Hailing from the Empire of the Sun, we now have Grief of War, Japan's answer to Warbringer.

The quartet's sophomore effort, "Worship," is 45 minutes of thrash metal that dares not stray from the tried-and-true formula of Metallica's classic "Kill 'Em All." Never stopping for anything and never straying from mid to high-tempo, "Worship" should sate any thrasher's hunger for retro-thrash.

Sounding like a power metal influenced Evile, "Worship" opens with "Crack of Doom" a nice, chunking, riff laden with very angry vocals and lyrics, which gives it a violent atmosphere. "Disorder" begins with an almost crusty riff and has a unique bridge with laser riffs and solo trade-offs. "Capture Soul Eternity" feels like an original sequel to Metallica's "Disposable Heroes." "A New Kind of Wicked" is next ... and it is by far the weakest track on the album, to the point of distraction, so do your ears a favor and skip it. Thankfully, "Revolt" is such a hard hitting thrash attack, you quickly forgive the band for the previous track. The title track is evil riffs backed by a awesome rhythm section, and will have you yelling the lyrics along in no time. "Into the Void" is up next and, no, it's not a Sabbath cover, but just another solid thrasher in the vein of Evile. "Worship" closes with "Lost," featuring some good riffs and a great solo that highlight the song.

Overall, "Worship" has its share of blemishes, but is still a solid thrash album. Lose the vocal filters and expand the power metal influence, and Grief of War has a potential to be a major contender.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/griefofwar.

"A Mounting Crisis ... As Their Fury Got Released" (Prosthetic; 2008)

Reviewed by Mike SOS

Thrash metal's revival goes global with the arrival of Japan's Grief of War and their 10-track attack, "A Mounting Crisis ... As Their Fury Got Released."

Originally released in their homeland a few years back, this album's liberal leanings move toward the works of bands such as Kreator, Death Angel, and Megadeth, as tracks like the fiery opener, "Hatred Burns," and the tasty solo-enhanced “Eternal Curse" maintain a classic thrash metal vibe.

Convincingly conducting the toxic waltz in the Land of the Rising Sun with a bevy of solid thrashing guitar riffs that expertly lock into the machine-gun turret rhythm section's relentlessly thunderous poundings on tracks like "Blind From the Facts," Grief of War lovingly rekindle the fires of the movement by recreating the sound, but ultimately it's this unit's keen songwriting prowess that allows this disc to stand out amongst the revivalist heap.

For more information, check out http://www.myspace.com/griefofwar.

Rating Guide:

A classic. This record will kick your ass.

Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.

So-so. You've heard better.

Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.

Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.

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