The Warriors - Monomyth Album Review
Review by : Brady Cloven
After almost an entire decade, The Warriors have released their fifth full-length album Monomyth. Monomyth can be defined as “the hero’s journey”, a theme clearly infused into the album with such introspective lyrics. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about this release. As someone who has come up with bands such as Knocked Loose and Stick to Your Guns that have been heavily influenced by The Warriors, I remember first listening to their album War is Hell and being absolutely stunned. With such a larger-than-life reputation and an arsenal to back it up, this new release was heavily anticipated, and it did more than just live up to the hype-it created even more.
Monomyth begins with All Life is One that builds from a pounding chant into the familiar guitar work by Charlie Alvarez and Javier Zarate. While your ears are still ringing from the intro, The Painful Truth comes in and knocks you right off of your feet. Mixing the intricate guitar work with some electronic elements pays off beautifully on a song that is sure to energize pits at every venue, and all that is before Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall brings his rage into the last seconds. My favorite track, Death Ritual, brings back many of the same elements that won me over from War is Hell and further demonstrate why Marshall Lichtenwaldt and the rest of the band are staples of the genre. Heavy drums, cutting guitars, and the guttural screams of Lichtenwaldt dominate this track and prove that the band has been ready for this reunion. “Hutch” opens with a recording of a heart-felt voicemail from a friend accompanied by synth and guitars that builds you up and then punches you in the mouth as it seamlessly transitions to “Within, Without” and Lichtenwaldt appears out of the dark. Scott Vogel of Terror lends a helping hand to this track and absolutely kills it. The interesting part of this track is how the band layers the vocals of Vogel and Lichtenwaldt with those of Jeremy Palaszewski to give it a very anthemic feel as it fades out.
“Fountain of Euth” is electronic heavy and shows that the band still have what it takes to be original and keep up with the changing landscape despite being removed from it for the past several years. I personally love this track and found myself going from bobbing my head to the beat to viciously banging my head with the chorus. “The Sun is Dying” has an even heavier reliance on electronic elements and mumbled vocals that show a hefty amount of originality even though the album could have done without it. If the past few songs have made you wary of the band straying too far from their roots, don’t worry because “Burn from the Lion” shifts you right back into the 90’s alternative metal that gave life to The Warriors. “Last S.O.S.” sends listeners off with a steady climb of alternating riffs that swerve in and out of Lichtenwaldt’s visceral vocals. It’s fast and punchy just like they have always been, and the end glides into a soft piano outro that neatly puts a bow on this early Christmas present to all hardcore fans. What is so great about this album is that there are so many influences that the band incorporate into each track that give the listener more than just a few singles here and there. Many of the tracks feature additional artists such as Jarvis Leatherby (Night Demon), Jeff Ling (Parkway Drive), Armand John Anthony (Night Demon) and many others that lend their artistic influence to the band and their latest album.
If you are a fan of hardcore, do yourself a huge favor and check out Monomyth by The Warriors. It is a step into the future of hardcore while still keeping the best parts of its past alive and well.