Author: Sandi Sadar Šoba
Artist: Breed
Label: Facefront Records
Release: 2010
Length: 44:41
Rating: 4.9/5
Another War sounds like Vulgar Display Of Power, Cowboys From Hell, like Pantera at their very best, or like the aftershock of Damageplan. Damage, formerly of Violent Power, serves up Dimebag-style guitar solos and wickedly venomous rhythmic play that put you in action mode instantly. The testosterone-soaked bass and drum explosions don’t lag behind by an inch, and Vinnie Paul himself would be proud of them. And believe it or not, Mauz’s redneck-rampage vocals, raspy but melodic, are spot on too. If we’re counting the positives, we can’t skip the full, hefty production, handled this time by Jock Loveband, a fairly anonymous name over here (so far he’s worked with Hellbillies, Madrugada and Savoy), and by Børge Finstad, who leans toward the louder end of the metal spectrum and has breathed life into records by Mayhem, Borknagar, Tristania and Sadus. The collaboration with studio engineer Asgeir Mickelson (previously part of the recording crew for testament, Sarke and Borknagar) and the choice of mastering studio also show on the road to success. Fredman Studio has been a creative haven for recording and mastering Dimmu Borgir, Opeth and Arch Enemy. But all those big-sounding names setting the standards you get on Another War still don’t capture Breed’s uniqueness.
It’s not so much about innovation as about the fact that Breed embody a beefy, fat, well-oiled sonic product of above-average groove metal that knocks you flat from the acoustic opening of Bloodstone. You lose your innocence at the guitar-and-violin intro, which shows that Breed are both technically polished musicians (guitarist Damage, at least, meets that standard right off the bat) and sonic hedonists with a knack for fun, unburdened aesthetics and catchy songs. A loud and explicit middle finger to the peddlers of fads and monotonous trends, their uncompromising, brutal, dark and explosively melodic racket is the body and soul of a thundering, high-voltage, riff-massive beast called Breed. The testosterone extract ramps up on the very catchy Hellfire, which rips your head off and pins you in front of the speakers from the first riff to the last hit on the drums. No excess kitsch, no filler! The high revs and the rubbing in of hellish pleasure continue on the Pantera-style saga Fire, marked by completely relaxed, natural and brilliantly executed guitar solos. I Am Not Lost is the more glam-flavored part of the record, but it does no harm to an album that’s already plenty varied. Let’s not forget that glam roots are part of the DNA of those untamed boys from Arlington too – Pantera. The Tide calms the passions and serves up a ballad with one of the best acoustic moments on the record, Breed sound almost gorgeously grunge, and Mauz shows off the many layers of his screaming vocals. Introspection and farewell are the foundation of the lyrics, and after the bass intro and screaming guitars opening the explosive Prisoner Of Carnage, you’re back on the hellish death train. The war drums of Equilibium first halt the destructive tempo at full throttle, but after the hardcore-style vocal verses Breed decide to shift back into top gear, rock’n’roll continues in an explicit hellbilly way, routinely, on Inhale Your Life, and after the thunder and rhythmic play of the title track Another War, sadly, it’s time for an outstanding farewell with a sludgy, greasy projectile of rawness – the song End In Slaughter.
The destructive stampede is capped off by a perfect string of ejaculations of pleasure, and after the last fade-out of those venomous guitars you realize Breed have stolen the lion’s share of your heart and wormed their way in from the very first listen. Damn! My mouth, sorry, my fingers on the keyboard are full of nothing but praise! And the flaws? The only flaw is maybe the obscure design of this punchy package. The second minus, if it even is one, is that Breed sound like Pantera, but after Throwdown‘s superb work on Venom And Tears I no longer see this kind of copying, or drawing inspiration from this kind of aesthetic, as something bad. If people grow up to match the founders of the genre, that’s just proof that this superb seed of musical revolt still has plenty of juice after 20 years, and that you can comfortably veg out on this trip for a while yet! Another War has been nicely buttered, and you can bet those explosive, loud, noisy and outstanding Breed sounds will keep happily rattling the speakers in my private little corner of domestic paradise in the living room for a good while! 666% Hell yeah!!!
This review was written in collaboration with Rock Hard Slovenija and RockLine.
Lineup
Maurice »Mauz« Adams – vocals
Kjell »Damage« Karlsen – guitar
Mads »Max« Mowinkel – bass
Erik »Core« Engebretsen – drums
Guest musician:
Otto Unnison – violin, backing vocals on End In Slaughter
Production
Jock Loveband & Børge Finstad
Tracklist
1. Bloodstone
2. Hellride
3. Fire
4. I Am Not Lost
5. The Tide
6. Prisoner of Carnage
7. Equilibrium
8. Inhale Your Life
9. Another War
10. End In Slaughter
