Released by: Metal Blade Records
Release Date: Out Now!!!
Genre: Heavy Metal
Links: https://www.facebook.com/battlecrossmetal
Line Up:
Kyle Gunther, Vocals
Tony Asta, Guitar
Hiran Deraniyagala, Guitar
Don Slater, Bass
Kevin Talley, Live Drums
Tracklist:
‘Force Fed Lies’
‘Flesh & Bone’
‘Never Coming Back’
‘My Vaccine’
‘Get Over It’
‘Ghost Alive’
‘Wage A War’
‘The Will To Overcome’
‘Beast’
‘Never-Ending Night’
Every once in a while you can go back to an album that initially didn’t “work” for you, and there will be something that will make you reassess your original thoughts. When I first heard Battlecross’ sophomore release War of Will, I wasn’t instantly blown away. On my first listen it struck me as redundant and unoriginal. Basically, there are a dozen bands that sound roughly the same as them, and essentially doing it better. After hearing Don Jamison on That Metal Show talk about it with his “Pick of the Week,” I decided to give it another shot.
I’m still not 100% convinced by their sound, but there is something going on here that definitely has appeal. Musically, they’re in the same vein as Lamb of God and Shadows Fall. Technically sound and brutal metal delivered with precision intensity. It wasn’t the music I took issue with. Much like a lot of today’s metal (in particular in the Extreme genre) the vocals detract too much for me to instantly fall in love with this band. Much like Randy Blythe (a man I have immense respect for as a human being,) I simply don’t care for the vocal style here. At least with Brian Fair in Shadows Fall he does from time to time flex his actual vocal chops. Battlecross compare more to LoG in this respect in that it’s all growl all the time. Fans of the aforementioned bands should have no issue getting full force into War of Will though. With such songs as “Never Coming Back,” “Force Fed Lies,” and “Wage A War” it’s a full throttle metal assault.
Barring my personal issues with the vocal style, I can certainly see why Don selected this as his pick. Battlecross, at first sound derivative of the wave of Metal bands that have dominated the last few years, but after a few more spins you get a sense of what they’re bringing to the table. Without a doubt fans of Lamb and Shadow’s will very much love this band (and likely already do.)
Written by Chris Martin
Ratings Chris 7/10
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