Warvictims
Domedagen
7.5
D-beat isn’t exactly the most progressive of styles, so anyone familiar with the classics (Discharge, Anti-Cimex, the Varukers) pretty much knows what they're getting here. For those who aren't familiar with d-beat, it's a crusty form of hardcore, built upon Discharge's framework, which is to say that it's furious anarcho-punk at heart with its Motorhead-loving metallic influences clearly visible on its patch-riddled sleeve. It’s angry; it’s fast; it’s raw, and it’s ragged and ferocious, and it’s fun.
Warvictims hails from Sweden, having released a surprising number of 7-inches, splits and two full-lengths thusfar in their less-than-four-year existence. The band was formed in tribute to the glory days of d-beat, both those classics I mentioned above and also the likes of Avskum, Mob 47, Totalitar and Disfear. Domedagen has a more modern crunch than some of its earliest forebears, a thickness and a power owed both to more modern influences and to more modern production techniques (although this is far from shiny or slick), a hefty punch that puts this firmly in line with the current leaders of the Scandinavian scene like Wolfbrigade, et al. There’s little variation in the tunes, as you’d expect—it’s just twenty-five minutes of chaos and violence, sure to put a grin on the face of any fan of the punkier side of things.
Most of the tunes are in Swedish, which I regrettably do not speak, but given the few English titles on hand ("The Aftermath Of A Nuclear War," "The Face Of Extinction," "They Gave Us A War"), plus the album art of a soldier atop tanks and planes, I’m going to assume that the lyrics center around the usual suspects of death, destruction, and devastation. "Domedagen" itself means "doomsday"—that much I do know, thanks to the Nasum track of the same name. Challe’s vocals stick to a low, chesty bellow, at times reminiscent of Barney Greenway of Napalm Death, and the guitar tone is brilliantly stout, with some cool leadwork buried in the mix.
Warvictims isn’t trying to make history—they’re intentionally repeating it. They’re paying homage to their influences, with some modern tricks in the mix for good measure, and they’re doing it all very well. Recommended for punkers, grinders, and the adventurous metalhead alike.
