Warkings label themselves as Pure Power Metal, which is as fitting as calling The Last Jedi divisive. Or The Emoji Movie painfully unfunny. No nonsense and no frills. Steadfast and determined dedication to their concept, a Roman Tribune, a wild Viking, a noble Crusader and a martial Spartan make up the four kings regailing their third tale Revolution.
Power metal lives in that unique echo-chamber where what would otherwise be considered cheesy enough to rival XL fun-fair nachos, herein is simply dripping in glory and magnificence. Ok so the tongue-in-cheek aesthetic is still fully appreciated for its spectacular sense of jest, but you simply cannot resist raising a fist and belting out a chorus.
Musically, Warkings fit their image exactly as one would expect. Straight forward pumping power metal, with a heavy emphasis on catchy choruses and melodic riffing. Revolution continues the trend seen on their first 2 releases. Kicking off with We Are the Fire, the chunky riffs come thick and fast. The pre-solo interlude purpose built for a live sing-along. Sparta Pt. II continues from the closing track of their previous album Revenge, with more purpose build live chants.
Lead single Fight is destined to be a favourite from their catalogue, and a staple part of their live set. Perfectly blending fast paced riffing and melodic chants. Spartacus and Kill for the King keep the tempo up and the power metal pumping. However, Deus Lo Vult brings the first real change in pace, and welcomed at that. Even for a staunch power metal fanatic like myself the consistent tempo can get a little monotonous.
The album kind of tails off towards the end. There isn’t much to distinguish the final few tracks from the rest of the album, and doesn’t match the quality from the first half. Overall Revolution feels like that compared to their previous album Revenge. In isolation Revolution stand up well, but Revenge definitely executed everything a little better in comparison. The 2 tracks with the excellent Melissa Bonny on Revenge really shifted the feel, something noticeably missing on Revolution.
Albums like Revolution are the hardest to review. Objectively, there is nothing particularly standout or special. Nothing that obviously sets Warkings apart from a plethora of fellow power metal bands. But that isn’t really the point. A simple, straightforward honest good time. Revolution is going to be Marmite to many people – is that a reference understood worldwide? Anyway, if you are just looking to bang your head, have a good time and not think too much, you will enjoy the Revolution.
Score: 6.5/10
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