Live Review: Warbringer and Hellripper | The Dome, London | 29/04/2023
Thrash 5-piece Warbringer found a home away from California as they took toTufnell Park's The Dome, delivering a high velocity performance to a sold-out crowd. With Hellripper along as tour support and a queue around the block long before doors, the scent of an A-tier thrash display was tangible.
Hellripper
The project of vocalist and guitarist James McBain, Hellripper was described by a member of the pre-doors queue as ‘Venom played by Motorhead’ which surmounted to the most accurate-yet-understated appraisal of this act humanly possible. The atmosphere was electric, the maintenance of an incredibly well performed set along with it meant there are very few negative words to be attributed to this review. In addressing one of these things preemptively, if you are the sort of person to dislike thrash because it ‘all sounds the same’ / ‘is always fast’ then perhaps you should ask what you expected? This set is fast. Constantly, intensely and unforgivingly fast – it is incredible. McBain exhibits both crowd and tempo control in equally quality measures for the duration of the performance.
It takes fewer than half of the eleven-song setlist for a very important question to arise – if this is the support act, can the headline band top this? The pit moves like a liquid, crowdsurfers and stagedivers emerge and fall in a scene that resembles a Michelangelo painting. The music of Hellripper, a southern twang on a demonically-possessed voice, sits well within its own sound but lies simultaneously only a small step from so many others. Thrash endlessly bleeds into black metal, holding groove in high quantities and offering easy access to enjoyment for fans from many different subgenres. This amalgamation of various influences has the potential to clash or sound overly derivative, however, much like a Michelin Star chef, McBain has measured the ideal quantity of each subgenre to allow for a composite sound that satisfies and delivers at every moment. As ‘Headless Angels’ rings out, a hugely impressive performance is capped off and full credit must be given to Hellripper – tonight they fired on all cylinders and blew expectations away.
Score: 9/10
Warbringer
The soaring of fighter jets, rattle of machine guns and clunk of industrialised warfare may not sound, in itself, an appealing audio experience for most people. However, it must be said, the sound that these influences have birthed is absolutely untouchable. Warbringer race out the gates with ‘Firepower Kills’, the blistering opening track of their sixth and most recent studio album Weapons of Tomorrow. Any concerns as to whether the energy would be maintained are swiftly pushed aside as crowdsurfers reclaim their dominance over the heads dotting the pit. Even though some of these excited fans decide they ought to hang around onstage with no invite, vocalist John Kevill doesn’t lose the smile on his face, guiding them toward the sea of baying arms as he performs tracks with an impressive accuracy to the records themselves.
Crashing through further ragers such as ‘Crushed Beneath The Tracks’ with its iconic drum-fill-intro and the title track of 2017 masterpiece Woe To The Vanquished, Warbringer show no signs of slowing the pace. Shredding guitarwork and immense drumming from Carlos Cruz flows freely and without interruption, commanding respect and attention for the full twelve-song set. The only time the brakes are applied may be found in the final track ‘Defiance Of Fate’ which extends over seven-minutes and exchanges speed for the grand atmosphere of a blackened-thrash ballad. Riff after riff is delivered with pinpoint accuracy and a well drilled stage performance, akin to the militaristic themes of the music blasting through the PA. Be not concerned, though the lyrical content focuses on the brutal aspects of war, combat and much between the two, the band are by no means glorifying unjust violence. ‘Remain Violent’ finds itself in the middle of the encore and rallies energy and power from the crowd with the hook ‘You have the right to remain violent!’. They didn’t need reminding though, as up until Kevill requests a photo with the audience after their final track ‘Total War’ there is non-stop movement and buzz within the Dome. All rightfully generated by an exciting thrash band who have managed to remain fresh and engaging over their nearly twenty-year history.
A consistent, accurate-to-record and energetic performance means there is little more to be asked of Warbringer. They came, saw, conquered – but most importantly sent hundreds of people home beaming from ear to ear. A thrash act requires few other achievements to consider themself a truly great band – which is a descriptor that Warbringer fully deserve.
Score: 8/10