World Wide Desolation (Demo)
[Self Released]

I'm an old-schooler at heart. Growing up on 80's thrash, power and black metal, I always love to hear a new band that embraces the past while looking to the future. Finland's Warhorn is such a band, and their new demo, World Wide Desolation is a great example of this "old meets new" philosophy.

Combining the sounds of 80's Germanic thrash (a la Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction) with the more modern sounds of today's black metal (especially in the vocal department), Warhorn have a sound similar to Impaled Nazarene, with a bit more variation. They are quite tight as a unit, with lots of double bass drumming and excellent riffs. They aren't all about speed, as they change tempos and feels quite a bit, and they do so seamlessly. For such a young band, they have some excellent arranging skills.

Vocalist Vulture has a somewhat high-pitched shriek that, while not entirely distinctive, is quite good. My only complaint here is that without a lyric sheet, it is nearly impossible to decipher anything he is singing.

After a short introduction, "Prologue For Annihilation", the band begins with "Into The Battlefields", a tune that reminded me of early Coroner, with a somewhat busy and melodic bass line and a great deal of tempo changes. Towards the end of the tune, there really is a feeling of riding into battle, a testament to the writing skills of the band. "Warstorm" has another great main riff, with some simple, yet cool guitar melodies. Check out the Fintroll-ish groove part beginning at 1:23. It's short, but adds some nice contrast to the rest of the tune. "World Wide Desolation" is the most black metal-sounding tune here, a mid-tempo thrashy number with a tremelo-picked main riff. This one is a bit less distinctive than the other two tunes, but a solid one nonetheless.

For a demo, this sounds amazing. Everything a band could want in its first "real" recording is here: clarity, a great mix, and tight performances. With a different vocal mix (They are a bit too forward in the mix), this could be released to the CD-buying public as is.

With great songriting/arranging skills and a semi-unique sound, Warhorn is a band that is destined for great things. Without keyboards, they manage to create atmosphere and melody without sacrificing heaviness and power. This is as professional a demo as you will ever come across.