Warpath
Malevolent Reprisal
7.1
Wow. Who knew that lurking in the streets of Dublin, Ireland was a genetic clone of Dying Fetus? Well, I know now, and they released their second full-length album late last year, and for a young Irish band getting their start, I’d say they are pretty successful in their Dying Fetus worship.
I could further expand on Warpath's sound, but it would seem a waste of typing. If you don’t believe the Dying Fetus comparison, just go the 1:00 and 3:35 marks of the title track (which is the first song in about 10 years that uses the ‘Unleash Hell’ quote from Gladiator -- and I still love it), the start of “Blood-Soaked Bayonet”, the blatant opening of “Kill at All Costs” , “Extreme Rendition” and “Unstoppable”. The pacing, dynamics, song titles and even the vocals (minus the deep pig grunts) are simply modern Dying Fetus rendered with passion and confidence. And while the lack of originality may damn the band, one has to remember this is death metal, where originality is often trumped by conviction. That being said, I question the energetic cover of Hatebreed’s “Tear it Down” that ends the album. I can think of plenty of other appropriate and obvious choices for a cover song at this point. How about “Epidemic of Hate” for starters? Obvious, I know, but why not embrace the glaring influences?
Not that any of that is a bad thing, Warpath has some skill, and their delivery of thick, groovy death metal is simple and enjoyable, and I like their more war-oriented themes and the many samples used to start songs. And the album is well produced with a beefy, meaty production. But it comes down to the old adage -- why settle for a clone of something when you can have the original? I will enjoy this CD on occasion, but I’ll more than likely reach for Destroy the Opposition when I’m in the mood for something in this style.
