CD Reviews

• Metal Crypt
  This is a pretty kicking album of furious, almost grindy Death Metal from Ireland. This is the second album for Warpath, and it shows in the tight arrangements, sharp compositions, and the raw, pissed-off recording job. This is nothing a Death Metal fan has not heard - a bit of Dismember, a bit of Morbid Angel, the inevitable pinch of Bolt Thrower - but it is done well enough to be worth hearing. This is derivative, to be sure, but it is never boring. The vocals are an extremely one-dimensional grunt, and the recording is a bit overprocessed, so they sound dull and flat. This certainly could benefit from a vocalist who sounded more genuinely angry and had some emotion. Otherwise this is a relentless and solid execution of a reliable formula.
  

• Masterful Magazine
  Dublin, Ireland death metal combo Warpath debuted commendably in 2008 with their "Gorefare" album. Where their debut suffered from typical beginners mistakes "Malevolent Reprisal" seems to rectify most of these earlier errors. Opening with a sample from the 2000 Ridley Scott sword-and-sandal epic "Gladiator" (like Kataklysm did previous on their 2002 album "Shadows & Dust") Warpath has something to offer for fans of the genre, young and old. Musically, this reminds mostly of the chunky death metal a la Aborted's "Engineering the Dead" or American acts such as Chris Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse, Fleshgrind, Jungle Rot, Obituary and the likes. The cuts combine high speed sections with pulverizing grooves and interesting dynamics. The leads/solos in particular deserve a special mention as they remind of classic genre guitarists such as James Murphy, Allen West and Rick Rozz. The bass guitar features prominently in the production, which emphasizes Warpath's bottom end groove. Vocally, Warpath has improved in leaps and bounds compared to their debut as the vocal lines and delivery are far more varied. The pig squeels have been thankfully sacked and Warpath now tread the familiar paths of alternating grunts with shrieks, as pioneered by Florida deathdealers Deicide. The cover of Hatebreed's 'Tear It Down' is commendable, but ultimately unnecessary. The artwork, design and lay-out by Jumali Katani is far more elaborate compared to their debut. Fans of mid-period Aborted, Chris Barnes-era Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation and (later) Lividity will find a lot to like here.