Originally written by Ross Main.
By the fourth repeat of the phrase “will of iron,” ten seconds into the opening track “Will of Iron,” one can’t help but become irrationally impatient with this record. After a brief scream from the lead guitar, we get another broken record spin, this time chanting “will, will of iron” and you strongly suspect this will be a long, long ride.
Behold, the uncreative and repetitive nature of the second album Warbringer, from the rather secretive battle metal Brits known as No Remorse, No Retreat. Not the best music to come under the name “Warbringer” by a long shot, and absolutely not the best metal song about iron wills.
It could be argued that battle metal can be quite a restricting label to impose on yourself, however bands like Týr, Turisas and Battlelore have always managed to keep it interesting within that rather slim-fitting armor. They harness the use of mythological lyrics to justify their names and song titles, their music provides a suitable soundtrack to the battles sung about, and everything is approached with the appropriate level of humility. No Remorse, No Retreat seem to bypass all that by roughing out generic battle blether in the style of a rebellious teenager that just wants to be part of something.
The chorus from the title track is a particularly good example of the kind of redundant bollocks going down here.
“Warbringer… bringer of war!”
Now would that be in the same way that a taxi driver is a driver of taxis? The same way that a shoelace is a lace for shoes? Or is it the same way that CatDog is a half fucking cat, half fucking dog? Just as well there are some brilliantly witty lines to be found after all:
“Ice age, sword age, war age, filled with rage.”
Brutal sarcasm aside, an ice age seems like a cracking idea right now.
It’s just unrelenting (bad unrelenting) guitar lines borrowed from Motorhead’s unused collection of non-humored riffs, and a bleating, unhelpful lead guitar that can only be likened to what Paradise Lost’s Gregor MacKintosh will produce when he’s senile and arthritic. The only way I’ll ever enjoy this album is when I’m drunk… and require a round portable surface to protect my finely varnished table from my sticky scotch glass, whilst I listen to Amon Amarth.
In fact, I’ve taken the the liberty of designing a No Remorse, No Retreat drinking game that will get you paralytic enough to enjoy this racket, and it can be completed along with one single spin of Warbringer.
I have also taken the courtesy of including a version of the game for those who wish to legally drive home afterwards.
Take a drink for every:
No Remorse, No Retreat sound like a high school band who are about six months into this fantastic form of self-expression called “heavy metal,” rocking out at the talent show in a reverbed world of their own. Whilst a few have attributed the complete lack of information regarding the band’s identity to the rather desperate conspiracy that they are a super group, I am personally inclined to believe it’s because Iron Age records failed to get a signature from the necessary parent or guardians.
A battle to listen to.
