Wardrum Desolation 2012

How about some good news from Greece. What we rarely know is the country slowly emerge as dark horse in metal scenes. Famously as the land of underground music, there now a band called Wardrum. Wardrum had released debut album (Spadework) and just a year improved their fortune with second album, Desolation released in April 2012. I haven't listen to Spadework but good testimony around told the improvement is positive from the already promising debut.

Desolation mostly labelled as power metal album. Not very accurate but in the positive good words, mean the album cross over between power metal and heavy metal. Many fresh riff and powerful drumming. Guitarist Kosta Vreto (also ex Horizon's End) is a fresh shredder giving many "out of context" solo that spices up the things very much. Notable are bassist and drummer here play their part proportionally and never act as third layered accompanying music. The bass sounds been correctly engineered and played big role. Last of course the contribution of excellent vocal works, not the type of high pitches screamer but fit the each song characters. Note that Yannis Papadopoulos, the singer is the new recruit and the band do excellent job scouting.

The first song Unforgiven actually a humble start, notable for its intrique verse song composition, which is have bits of Yngwie Malmsteen thing. Things more noticeable started from here, Sign Of Treason started with excellent riff and drum intro. Parental, Higher Sky, F.A.I.T.H and Abound in Nothing all started with that classic power riff intro which followed by memorable song line too. While, Urban Storm put in more technical music. The moments hold tight until the last part as in Sailing Away, that again demonstrated how Wardrum able to compose nice metal song that very tight between verse, bridge and chorus.

This is something like modern Yngwie Malmsteen song combined with Gamma Ray riffing driven metal. The cover art give a strong power metal feel but actually they offer bits of standard heavy metal too. Thumb up for this Greek youngster that keep the metal world up high. Definitely a band with many talent combined together, need to watch in the future. Recommended.

Metalharem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Wardrum Desolation 2012
buy this album now

1. Unforgiving
2. Sign of Treason
3. Parental
4. Common Ground
5. Tide Lakes
6. Higher Sky
7. F.A.I.T.H.
8. Urban Storm
9. No Retreat
10. Abound in Nothing
11. Sailing Away
12. Rainy Day

Kostas Skandalis Bass
(Horizon's End, ex-Final Answer, ex-Mindloss)
Stergios Kourou Drums
(Horizon's End, Kosta Vreto, ex-Escape, ex-Death from Above)
Kosta Vreto Guitars
(Horizon's End, Kosta Vreto)
Yannis Papadopoulos Vocals
(Crosswind, Until Rain)

Wardrum very power metal cover art with ala Keeper of Seven Keys "monk"