Warchitect
A Sea Of Red
5.7
For a self-released album, this has some seriously decent production, meaning that someone in Warchitect must be a little light in the wallet. But I suppose that a boisterous guitar tone can only help matters when you are a technical/progressive thrash band. Warchitect initially formed in 1998 in the Netherlands with ex-members of a band called Passion. The drummer, bassist, and one guitarist have stayed constant, while picking up a new singer and lead guitarist at the local high school. That’s a joke, but it may not be, as the elder members were all born in the early-mid 70’s, while the new guys are barely 20.
As musicians, the members of the band are plenty talented, and that’s what makes A Sea of Red a frustrating album to review. The bulk of the album rumbles along at a mid-paced clip, so the drumming is as interesting as it can be for a thrashy album. There’s not much time to get inventive when you’ve got to keep time for a steady stream of riffs. Young guitarist Ingmar certainly has chops, while the singer Frankie has a nice screamy bark much like that of Jonas Kjellgren (Carnal Forge), without coming off as frenetic as Jonas.
While the individual ingredients for a strong album are present, the final result is lacking. It’s hard to put a finger on where exactly it goes wrong, but it has something to do with the song composition. There are a multitude of notable riffs here and there, and the transitions are fine, but it is as if they are going about their song building all wrong. Many riffs sound quite similar, and they basically eschew choruses, so I’m having trouble differentiating between the songs. The common pacing does not help to this end. The title track and the first track, “Fortress Stalingrad” are the best the album has to offer. “A Sea of Red” (the song) has a nifty beginning with quite technical riffing, followed much later by a soothing acoustic break and then a pleasingly long solo. That’s one thing that Warchitect does right – soloing, such as the rocking finale to “The Evil that Evil Does”. They also allow certain riffs and pieces to grow and expand in lengthy jams. Beyond these three songs, much of the album is a bit of a blur.
As a band, Warchitect certainly has the potential to become a nameworthy band, and this being their second album, following the critically-approved Mind, I’m surprised they haven’t been picked up by a label yet. What they need to do is maintain the technicality, while expanding their sound, whether it be with time or tempo changes, or re-examining their compositions. With the right tweaks and adjustments, they can start making waves in the metal world. Keep at it, men.
