WARKINGS – “Armageddon”

WARKINGS unleashed their 5th full length after a long needed three year hiatus from the studio. In their first two records they presented a very solid fountation, especially with the debut “Reborn” which is my favorite album of theirs. “Revolution” came one year after the sophomore “Revenge” and was one of the same but with some standout songs, and another year later we got “Morgana”. Three albums in three years seemed liked a rushed decision to me which was reflected in the declining quality of the releases, as I found each previous record to be better than the next. I stood by the opinion that they needed a break in order to bolster their songwriting with some new spicy things, work on compositions more, and then return with a banger record. Did they succeed?

To be honest, I like “Armageddon” as it has some saving graces that place it above “Morgana”, but I was still expecting more from the mighty WARKINGS after reaching its end. Starting with what works, I was surprised by the performance of Secil Sen (Morgana) who joined the band during the previous record. When I heard her in her in “Morgana” I was not impressed by the brutal vocals and the way they were utilized in that album, they seemed forced. But here? She is leaning more on her clean vocals and they are so good! She adds a great dynamic to the songs and the one she leads (‘Circle of witches’) is one of the highlights. Kudos and I can’t wait to hear more in the future! Continuing, the tracks are much more consistent this time and the album flows like a river, without any bad moment. Perhaps I am a little biased by the fact that I adore the voice of Georg Neuhauser (The Tribune, also singing in SERENITY).

Now I want to point out the two characteristics that halt the album’s potential. Firstly, if you look at the tracklist, you will see eleven songs + three interludes, where none passes the 4 minute mark which is a first for WARKINGS. I like short songs but I also find the lack of experimentation and adventure a little dissapointing in this case. I am not talking about ten minute opuses, just a minute or two extra. And then we have the most standout issue, the overall direction of the music that surrenders some of the power the band is know for and trades it for a melodic cloack that brings them closer to DOMINUM or POWERWOLF. I was not surprised by the slightest to see that Felix Heldt was the producer (DOMINUM’s mastermind), I love both him and his band, they are among my favorites, but that doesn’t mean I want every band to sound like them. After the album ended, ‘We are the fire’ came next to the playlist and the comparisons were inevitable.

The conclusion I reached is that you will definitely enjoy “Armageddon” if you are a fan of the modern Power Metal scene and all that it brings to the table (short compositions, focus on melodies, anthemic hit songs etc.). At least, I definitely did as a WARKINGS fan since their debut. I cannot ommit though that not only it doesn’t innovate (to be fair, it doesn’t try to), but at the same time I witness WARKINGS sacrificing a part of their identity and exploration in order to approach a more digestible sound direction. If you prefer this approach then you will be overjoyed by the result. I however, expected more. Since the time I encounted “Reborn” I have been saying that this band has much to give. This latest album should have been a breakthrough, but instead preserves a discographical path that was already in need of reinvigoration.

60/100

Pavlos Pavlakis   

100: Godsent

90s: Excellent

80s: Very good

70s: Good

60s: Enjoyable

50s: Uninspired

40s: Bad

0s -30s: Unlistenable