WARCKON - High Treason

10 songs
51:31 minutes
***** ****
Emanes Metal

Bandpage

Warckon is a thrash metal band from the Flemish part of Belgium. Founded in 2007, their first longplayer The Madman’s Lullaby followed in 2011. Three years later they are back with its successor High Treason.

The short intro Mare Tranquilitatis is a great start into the album. The sounds of a music box (apparently one of those with a dancing ballerina, according to the band) is merging into electric guitar. This is followed by the emotive semi-ballad The Weak which reminds me a little of the quieter tracks by Metallica and Death Angel. It is quite unusual to put the slowest track thus early on an album, but maybe that allows the listener to relax one last time before the storm. (My Very Own) Moriarty is extremely fast thrash metal with an undeniable Eighties vibe that reminds of Sacred Reich. And this is the direction that High Treason is following from here on. Fast riffs, playful guitars, powerful drums and barking vocals provide the necessary retro allure. Comparisons to Annihilator definitely also make sense. Despite a constantly elevated pace, Warckon take care to occasionally add slower moments to allow for variation. Sleeper and Mutant Messiah are two tracks where this works truly well. If you like your metal more direct and without detours, you should check out Dawn of the Era Gargoylaes.

The musicians are only half my age, and therefore I can only applaud that they are not following any current trends, but rather play the kind of music I listened when growing up about thirty years ago. Nostalgic fans of early day thrash metal will get their money’s worth out of High Treason. This record has great chances to become one of the best thrash metal albums of the year. Belgium is not only living a revival in football, but apparently also in all things considered metal.