While the thrash revival movement has amounted to little more than press hype to date, it's not a scene without merits. Obviously it doesn't take a genius to see that thrash has never truly disappeared, rather that the fashion that followed it did. Sure newer bands like Municipal Waste being clad in denim jackets and Suicidal hats can convincingly come off as heshers; but a band like Warbringer, who look as though still have to rely on bootleggers to buy their beer, may have a bit of a harder time trying to become the next '88 Hetfield.

Luckily for them, their music is resolutely played with a bevy of screeching solos and blazing thrash attacks. Sure the influences of early Slayer and Metallica might as well be patched on the back of their denim jackets, but still there's an abundance of instrumental talent present here. Surprisingly, there's also a considerable amount of emulated nostalgia that may just strike a chord with older listeners, especially with a faithfully mimicked late 80's production job.

The problem that faces this band however is not tied to their intensity or musical chops, rather to their songwriting. The bulk of "War Without End" sees fit to continually rampage with power and speed and little else. It wasn't merely the intensity that made the long hairs wear out their Metallica and Slayer tapes, it was also the clever songwriting, ominous vocal imagery and epic scope - strategies which Warbringer seem to have avoided. Instead they continually launch blitzkrieg after blitzkrieg, laying considerable waste, but ultimately falling short of doing anything memorable after killing 'em all.