Warfield – With The Old Breed
Release Date: 4th April 2025
Label: Napalm Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Teutonic Thrash Metal, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal.
FFO: Kreator, Exodus, Sodom, Destruction, Nuclear Assault.
Review By: Rick Farley
It’s pretty early in 2025 to have had this many thrash bangers already released. That is, if you’ve actually been paying attention. Feisty newcomers and thrash legends have both been releasing killer records and riling up the pits since early January. So, it’s really no surprise to be getting another one in album number two With The Old Breed, April 4th, 2025, via Napalm Records from Teutonic thrash trio Warfield. Formed in Germany in 2012, brothers Johannes Clemens (vocals, bass) and Matthias Clemens (guitars) joined forces with Dominik Marx (drums) to unleash their brand of warring thrash metal unto the world. Echoing the legacy of bands like Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, Warfield brings the memorable spirit of the old school and blends it with a fresh, modern sound that’s bound to wreck some necks and shred some nerve endings with brutality, speed, groove, and relentless energy. Unafraid to blend in a little Bay Area influence as well gives this record plenty of extra personality.
With The Old Breed is a sharp, aggressive record that’s built for the mosh pit. Loads of youthful, burning piss filled belligerence ready to hostilely apprehend your skull and execute blunt force trauma. From its razor sharp riff beginning to its double bass attacking end, this is a pedal to the metal record with massive amounts of replayability that had me grimacing and threating to abuse my computer desk with extreme violence as I was writing this review. As a heads-up, there is a limited vinyl edition containing a bonus track that’s worth noting and worth picking up as well. It’s a snarling, wicked cover of Nuclear Assault’s F* (Wake Up).
The record kicks off old school riff wise with Melting Mass. A jagged, angular guitar riff that sounds like it could rip easily through your flesh. Extremely sharp toned and abrasive as hell, this track sounds unsafe. Gnarly, coarsely shouted vocals cut easily through the low-end thump as well for 3 minutes of thrashy, punky violence. A little mix of Mille Petrozza, and Tom Angelripper, the harsh vocals are quintessential 80s era thrash metal. Right away, you know exactly what hellish nightmare into which you’re about to get. Not for the weak or faint-hearted, there’s no soothing sweet melodies here, just high velocity terror.
The thick and chunky beatdown of Tie the Rope has an undeniable groove from the rhythm section and a swarming guitar riff that sets off the melding of tempos from throat stomping to gut check fast and back again. Fragmentation with its sing along punky gang vocals and Bay Area flavour reminds of Exodus in their most memorable. This track is catchy as all hell, ensuring lethal hair whipping. The seven-minute plus GASP starts with a slower pace, crawling along with a slinky bassline and groovy, crunchy riff. Nasty drum fills and raspy screeches take your hand and guides you towards a faster, yet still groovy tempo with scorching metallic riffs. A sluggish bassline, wispy guitar noises and guitar wails drag through until they both drop out completely and ends with only a cool drum pattern. Closing track With the Old Breed brings back the speed metal violence, ensuring you’re left bloody, bruised, and broken.
With The Old Breed is hellaciously fun, proving that thrash metal still has lots of gas in the tank. Not a whole lot else to say other than, horns up and try not to hurt yourself or anyone else in the pits!
(4 / 5)
