Warlord-Anthology

Arkeyn Steel Records
2012




There are some bands who are destined for greatness from the word go. These bands seem to be riding with lady luck if you will. Everything they do makes their audience grow and suddenly they are the biggest band in the world. Or at least they get the props and fans they deserve. One such act would be Motorhead. For all their hard work and long fought battle within the music industry they have become legends. They deserve every bit of glory and praise that is heaped upon them. Some band though (Warrant for example) become huge, sell millions of albums and end up rich and famous. And for what? Artificial bubblegum pop metal? It remains a mystery why some bands made it big despite any lost-lasting appeal or influence on modern music while other bands create influential and epic material while ending up little more than a cult curiosity. For every truly dreadful pop metal millionaire band of the eighties there was dozens of hardworking and talented real heavy metal bands that ended up as nothing more than a small footnote in the history books. Thankfully many record labels today have dedicated themselves to the preservation of these unsung heroes. If ever there was a unsung band that deserved much more success and fame than they ever got it would have to be heavy metal/power metal act Warlord. Formed in 1981 this Los Angeles, CA group could be called an essential eighties metal band. Warlord flew the flag of traditional heavy metal/power metal with pride and talent to spare. There were many unsung bands to come out of the eighties, but few stack up to this heavy metal/power metal act. One could easily make the argument that if there was any band that came out of the LA scene of the eighties who deserved more recognition it was Warlord. Some have called Warlord the sound of eightis heavy metal in a nutshell and I couldn't agree more. Their sound was hard and heavy although they knew how to use melodic metal to their advantage. Warlord combined elements of hard rock, traditional heavy metal, progressive metal and power metal. So in a way they took all the flavors of eighties hard rock/heavy metal and created a heavenly treat. Most people I know who have heard of this group mention the two Metal Massacre compilation tracks, "Child Of The Damned" and "Mrs. Victoria". Both are killer cuts but beyond those two numbers they have remained somewhat of a mystery for many. It seemed from day one the band was destined to be nothing more than a cult act. One reason for that is the fact that their discography is a mess. The other reason is that said material has been out of print and therefore far too pricey for the casual listener to afford. With this 2 CD release the band has gathered everything in their catalog and with a top notch re-master job presented it in a package that is damn near perfect. This collection is nothing short of a miracle for die hard fans and casual listeners alike. For those who have longed to hear Warlord at their best this collection will not disappoint. The remaster job is simply unreal. It makes everything sound so crystal clear and clean. As I listen to this digital promo now it is like I am discovering this band all over again. The little extra touches are made all the more clear and this recording ends up as an instant classic without sounding dated. I'm just starting to see who Warlord really was and the care they took in crafting their music thanks to the almost perfect re-master job. The melodies and technical skill aside Warlord was a band unlike any other. They played classy, border line power metal with such energy, enthusiasm and grace. This band has influenced legions of epic and power metal acts and this limited edition 2 CD collection should be in every serious collectors hands. Be warned though that this is a limited edition run. Only 1000 hand-numbered copies of this double CD have been produced. Needless to say I snagged my copy the first chance I got! This anthology truly does represent everything the band ever did. It includes the band's entire back catalogue: The "Deliver Us" Mini-LP from 1983, the "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun" album from 1984 and the "Rising Out of the Ashes" album from 2002. On the second disk you get some superb bonus material. It consists of the "Mrs. Victoria" track from the Japanese edition of "Deliver Us", the Out Of Print "Lost And Lonely Days / Aliens 12" single, the "Hands And Feet (Thunderchild's Farewell)" instrumental from the "Thy Kingdom Come" compilation, plus the "Lost and Lonely Days" track from the Japanese edition of "Rising Out of the Ashes". Like I said everything this band has done is here and you couldn't ask for a better package job than this one. Every song has been fully re-mastered with loving care. The double CD will have exclusive artwork, photos, lyrics and information on the band. All for the glory of Warlord. True heavy metal fans already know what Warlord meant to the scene. It's time for the rest of the world to find out! You can pre-order this must have at the link below.









PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.arkeynsteel.com/