First things first, it is always more accurate to act like this. As the press release delivers us “‘The Dystopian Chronicles, Vol. 3‘ marks the climactic conclusion to the band’s ambitious trilogy: a sweeping, furious, and often uncomfortably honest exploration of humanity in decline.” Humanity in decline, hmm, is it possible a band put it in better terms? I guess not. I know this subject is very controvertial, but, on the other hand, Metal music is the controversy itself. Moreover, it has to be the controversy. Metal music has the obligation to annoy the powers that be. Even though this is a theme Metal music has been using since its inception, there is a slight difference now, from where I am standing, this end is getting near and near.
Second, this album triggered my musical memory. It seems to me that I have known the band for a long time. I was surprised by how intimate their music sounded to me. This feeling maybe explained because Warhog perform a 1980’s sonancy with clean vocals and ethereal guitars that emulate Space Rock. However, what caught my attention since day one was the sound of the drums which addressed to the sonancy of 1980’s pop. More notably, the sound of the snare drums which sounds a bit opaque – do you know that sound of hitting a plastic box? That’s it. It is not that the sound of the drums does not please me, it is only the effect of hearing a kind of sound I have not been listening for some time. Even the bands that recreate the sound of the 1980’s do not recreate this sound. On their defense, it was not really common even in that epoch.
“Unleash the Beast” opens up the album telling the fan everything that is to come. The only thing I did not like was that the guitars are mixed so low. There are songs such as “Future Shock“ where I think they should be mixed louder to give that Metal punching sound to the fans. After all, liking it or not, Metal music is all about loud guitars. The band that immeadiately comes to mind is Maryllion with their 1980’s Prog Metal keyboards sound and bass lines sounding as the real thing. But the better is yet to come with” Hollow” and “Stewards of a Broken World,” for me the best songs of the album with emotions that come out so easily. Undoubtedly, with them both, Warhog assume their Prog Metal verve creating a very delicate audial tapestry with long instrumental moments that sound so natural. Maybe the idea was to create a kind of a closing of the human era. “Stewards of a Broken World” is definitely at the same page regarding to emotions, but with that kind of great gluey guitar riff that the fan can singalong. Grande finale “Signal_pulse27103_28_057_undefined_anomaly” is a mysterious transmission from deep space. A song that captures exactly Warhog’s aura.
Track Listing:
2. Future Shock
3. Hollow
4. Stewards of a Broken World
5. signal_pulse27103_28_057_undefined_anomaly
Watch “Unleash the Beast” official lyric video here:
I’m just a lucky guy who has chosen metal to live with for a long time. Metal changed my life for good. It made me more confident and stronger. Metalheads are naturally far away from the mass mediocrity and don’t accept impostures from anybody else. Metal is more than music, it’s a life changing oportunity!