Album Review: Battlecross - 'War of Will'

Battlecross have proven themselves to be a big contender in the thrash metal genre and the whole metal scene, with their latest effort, 'War of Will'.

An amazing overall package, this record is bursting at the seams with excellent melodies, shredding riffs and outstanding songwriting. If you consider yourself a metalhead you won't want to miss this one.

The album opens in a big way with 'Force Fed Lies', a furiously fast track that punches you in the face and demands your attention. It rarely lets up from there, if ever. Follow-up track, 'Flesh & Bone' capitalises on the aforementioned face-punching with some of the best riffs and melodies on the album. A lot of the dual guitar harmonies and melodic phrases tend to be reminiscent of In Flames, which make for some fantastic moments when combined with the shredding riffs that comprise each song.

Technically, everything is pulled off with beautiful precision. The guys from Battlecross are really instrumentally adept. You can tell that a lot of hard work and tweaking has gone into this record, getting it as tight and polished as possible. The production quality is also top-notch, making the most of the band.

The album manages to strike an ideal balance. It draws, in a considered way, on direct musical influences, but pulls up from simply falling into the common trap of direct replication. 

For killer melodic thrash, look no further than 'War of Will'. This album is oozing with excellence in every aspect.

Battlecross' third full-length pulls no punches with its thrash metal assault. A breath of fresh air for the thrash genre, this band has a genuinely aggressive and unique sound of their own. Coupling excellent In Flames-esque melodies with top quality shredding and riffs, Battlecross have produced a real winner with 'War of Will'.

1. Force Fed Lies

2. Flesh & Bone

3. Never Coming Back

4. My Vaccine

5. Get Over It

6. Ghost Alive

7.Wage a War

8. The Will to Overcome

9. Beast

10. Never-Ending Night