Warmachine Demo 2001

Wow! That's all I can say about this demo. Is this really even a demo CD? This is really good traditional / power metal played by amateurs. Something about the first track, "The Beginning of the End" just grabbed my attention from the first time I listened to it. My attention was held for the entirety of the album, I'm sorry I mean demo. That rarely happens with new bands. Everybody seems to be cookie cutter, copy+paste style bands. Warmachine, from the start, put me in mind of an energetic band, happy to be able to play the music they love, and it shows throughout the length of this album. It may just be the vocals, but this band reminds me of early Metallica, only less thrashy. They have the same enthusiasm and energy. And best of all, it's not stale! Nothing seems rehashed, reworked, ripped-off; it's all original and very catchy.

The entire album is excellent. The production is very strong, especially for a demo. This is why I have trouble believing that it's a demo. The vocals, as I stated before, are very reminscent of a younger James Hetfield, only a little higher pitched, but not lacking the excellent delivery and presence. The guitars are excellent, perfect in the mix. They have this awesome crunch that accentuates the melody lines so much more. The drums, while not amazing, definitely keep the song flowing. The bass is pretty standard as well; there are some really cool lines, but it' doesn't sound like Steve DiGiorgio is playing. They don't have the prog tendencies that many other bands tend to have in the power genre: no one is trying to outplay anyone else in the band. They write music that fits perfectly together.

Each song is excellent on it's own, so I will not divulge into a track by track review. The general feel of this album is energetic, original, enthusiastic traditional or power metal (depending on how you define each). There are definitely elements of classic Judas Priest, as well as elements of Metallica and Maiden. This band wears its influences right on its sleeve, but they aren't ripping anyone off. The music is original. The musicianship is excellent. The songwriting is near perfect. Everything, like I said earlier, fits together, and nothing is out of place.

I can't believe it took 11 years for this band to get signed (formed in 1994, signed in 2005). This band has all of the elements to be huge, but it all depends on the market. I'm not sure if most of the metal world is ready for another Judas Priest styled band. The market for "metal" is leaning towards the shit they play on MTV; hell I know it's not metal, but they all seem to think it is. This band has tons of potential, and they could be huge, but they may have arrived at the wrong time. Maybe a few years down the road, people will know what real metal is, and if they do, Warmachine would have to be in the front.

This album is highly recommended to everyone. Fans of Metallica, Judas Priest, power metal, traditional metal, and maybe even thrash fans should dig this.I would call it a classic album already, but it's only a demo. Maybe the future will be brighter and classic albums will continue to come. Looking forward, Warmachine is definitely on the path of greatness. Let's see what they can accomplish. Pick this up from the band's website!

Three years ago I went on a little binge, trying to find as many local Toronto bands as possible. I listened to mp3s and read information on at least 15 bands. Some stuck out more than others but the one thing that stood out more than anything was that the Death/Black Metal to Heavy/Power Metal ratio wasn’t very good. Almost every band was Death Metal or Black, which is all fine and dandy, but there was a definite lack of traditional Metal bands. I finally happened upon Warmachine. A group of Italian-Canadians in their early 20’s, playing “old school” Metal with a touch of Rust In Peace era Megadeth… it sounded promising. And promising it was! After listening to some mp3s from their website I was instantly intrigued. Sure, it was a little rough around the edges but the formula and potential was there and the fact that ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson was producing their first official full-length put even more stock into the band’s future.

Skip ahead three years: I unfortunately missed some opportunities to see Warmachine live due to school or work and there was still no full-length. So what was going on? Well, recently I finally saw them live, playing with Seven Witches, and while I expected Warmachine to be good they ended up completely destroying. Naturally, I went to the merchandise booth and immediately picked up their 8 song 2001 demo for a very reasonable price. While their debut full-length has been recorded for over a year now, it won’t be released for another few months, so in the mean time I have an excellent demo to get my traditional Metal fix.

The songs that Warmachine played from this demo, live, sounded even more intense, heavier, and focused than their demo counter-parts but that’s not to take away from the excellent quality of this demo recording either. Considering this is now almost 4 years old and an entirely self-released CD the sound quality is great. Every instrument is clearly audible and the sound isn’t muddy or muted at all. The guitars still have an excellent crunch and the melodic leads fill speakers like they should. In short, the sound quality takes absolutely nothing away from the music, which is great for a demo. The actual music can be best described as mix between Iron Maiden and Megadeth. The band uses a lot of harmonized leads and sometimes they even have leads on top of other leads. Singer and lead guitarist, Joe DiTaranto, can really shred and his rhythm counter-part and sometimes lead counter-part Mike Miolla isn’t too shabby either. It’s not uncommon to have 3 or 4 leads per song. Some are very melodic and others are shred fests but they always fit the song and create some instantly catchy melodies that was present in many of our favorite Heavy/Power Metal bands from the 80’s. The riffs definitely have an 80’s Metal feel with a heavy dose of Rust In Peace Thrash. This means that while the overall sound of the band is rooted in traditional Metal it takes on a fresh approach thanks to the thrash based riffs. To the listener this means that Warmachine is catapulted from strictly being a band paying homage to old school metal to a band taking old school Metal and adding a distinct touch that they can call their own.

Most of the tempos are fast but very little double bass is used, and thus the rhythms are definitely Iron Maiden based. Though the overall effect of the music might give the impression that the structures are simple that’s not really case. Many tracks are around the 6 minute mark and the band fills those 6 minutes with various riff changes and extended shred/lead sections that are totally killer and are some of the best moments of the CD. The vocals mostly stay in one style, that style being very clear, in the higher range, and without any vibrato. Though DiTaranto is limited in his range he knows what notes he can hit and never over does anything while completely staying within his abilities. It should also be noted he has improved a lot since this demo. The choruses and even most of the verses are catchy from a vocal perspective but don’t expect any gang sing-alongs ala HammerFall. Instead, the combination of guitar melodies and vocal melodies create an overall effect that is at once memorable and note-worthy for its effective hooks and subtlety. The band also includes occasional Iced Earth styled quiet build-up and some slowed down crunch sections, but all in all 95 percent of the music is upbeat, energetic, and intense, which is especially impressive because very little double bass is used.

I’ve listened to a lot of demos over the past few years and many of them have been rather impressive, but Warmachine’s 2001 demo is definitely one of the best. Sure, the band could improve and you know what, they already have. Their new songs from the concert were heavier, faster, and contained even more wild leads. You can check out songs from this demo at www.warmachineonline.com and keep in mind they’re just demo tracks. I recommend all traditional Metal fans to keep an eye and ear out for these guys because once their full-length gets released I think you’ll be hearing a lot more about them. They have a very bright future and I can’t wait to not only hear the completed full-length but also see them live again.