Monday 4 March 2013

Philip H. Anselmo/Warbeast – War of the Gargantuas (Review)

 
Album Type : Split
Date Released : 15/3/2013
Label : Season of Mist
 
War of the Gargantuas, tracklisting
 
1) Philip H. Anselmo - Conflict (Nerve Meets Bone) 4:19
2) Warbeast - Birth of a Psycho 5:43
3) Philip H. Anselmo  - Family, Friends and Associates 3:33
4) Warbeast  - It 4:30
 
 
Bio
 
PHILIP H. ANSELMO is a name that needs little introduction to heavy metal fans. Ever industrious, the former PANTERA and SUPERJOINT RITUAL and current DOWN vocalist has a new project with his backing band THE ILLEGALS forming a devastating combination. Paired with new coming riff masters WARBEAST, this 4-song split CD EP is a pummelling dish of American southern metal served by the very best
 
Review
 

Phil Anselmo showcases a taster of his upcoming solo material with this split release with fellow Housecore Records band Warbeast.

The Anselmo tracks on the split come in fast and heavy, somewhere between Superjoint Ritual, Pantera’s Great Southern Trendkill album and a more technical edge. This split release sees Anselmo at his most ferocious and pissed off in years, and features a stellar drum performance to boot. Conflict (Nerve meets Bone) kicks off the E.P in an extreme fashion, with Anselmo showcasing his trademark extreme vocals, last heard with Superjoint ritual. A punishing listen, Conflict set the split up nicely for Warbeast's first track, Birth of a Psycho.

Having never heard Warbeast before, their style fits nicely with the Anselmo portion of the split, laying somewhere between technical thrash, death/black metal with a punk/hardcore edge. The band have the NOLA  sound, see-sawing between blastbeats and slower, sludgier sections. Fans of Slayer, Eyehategod and Pantera will find plenty to enjoy here.

Anselmo's second track, is the closest to SR’s melting pot of NOLA sludge, hardcore, and extreme metal. Perhaps the most exciting and surprising part of Anselmos work on the E.P is the frantic pace and the ever changing song-structure. Family, Friends and Associates flies past before Warbeast end the release with It.

It sees the band exploring a more old school thrash feel, albeit one that sounds like it’s drowning in a New Orleans swamp. While it would be easy to overlook Warbeast's side of the split, due to its legendary companion, they seriously impress with their two tracks and they definitely prove to be a vital new part of the Thrash metal scene.

An excellent split release that leaves great promise and anticipation for Anselmo's forthcoming solo album and showcases a great new talent in thrash metal.    
Words : Richard Powley
 
Check the links for more info on the bands featured. Record is available to buy and DD with be available at the usual places. Thanks Gunnar @ SOM.