Warvictims - Domedagen review

If you like D-beat/Punk you should already know who the Swedish Warvictims are. If you don’t, then definitely check this album out. We are not huge fans of the genre or this band, but we can notice how intense and raw Domedagen is.

In a quick lowdown of “Domedagen” we have to say that the punk riffing and drumming is very persistent during the album and create the right atmosphere for a band of this genre. The production quality on this release is pretty shitty, but we assume this would add more ‘rawness’ and ‘authenticity’ to the album.

The guitar work is fairly standard and the pounding bass guitar is very dominant, sometimes it completely obscures the guitar. If you are looking for originality, this band has nothing on this department but they do put out a great effort with “Domedagen”. There are some nice solos here and there and the vocals are very aggressive, for us these two things make this release listenable and at points maybe enjoyable.

The reason we don’t like these kinds of releases is because all songs sound the same but if you don’t mind it then you are in for a treat with “Domedagen”. If you like D-beat with crustiness to it, get the album since it will surely please your ears.
//Dark Emperor, Infernal Masquerade. Rating 80/100.

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Amidst a flurry of split vinyl 7" releases and EPs comes the Swedish D-Beat Punk band Warvictims' fourth full-length offering, Domedagen. This heavily Metal fueled Punk act has plenty of hard hitting tracks on here that will make you want to break everything you have nearby, but outside the sheer intensity there's still a few flaws with the album. Luckily, these flaws really aren't anything outside the norm for this sort of raw Punk act, with exception to one very huge similarity.

Domedagen is a strong album, there's no denying that. Sitting at thirteen tracks in length, the release actually just barely breaks the twenty two minute mark, which is to be expected considering the style of music the band plays. The only problem is that the style of music this act plays happens to sound very close to the more Punk-oriented output by metal legends Napalm Death, even down to the vocal performance and distortion used on them, as well as using similar guitar distortions and down tuning. Hell, let's face it, this entire release is practically dripping in Napalm Death inspired goodness. But, even though this is practically nothing but idol worship, it's at least done right as there's plenty of material on this release that, after a few spins, will really make you want to just go crazy and destroy anything and everything in your sights.

If you're not a fan of the band, you may be put off by the said worship this album has musically, but after a few spins you'll realize how well done and heavy the music really is and wind up overlooking that simple fact. The first song, "Vår Annalkande Domedag" is actually a little rough to get into, but it's still a great, hard hitting track that comes at you like a speeding freight train and winds up being one of the better tracks off the entire release. "The Aftermath of a Nuclear War" is really where the band shows some originality through a more straight-forward Punk track that is a little more upbeat then the rest of this release. It may not be the strongest song on here but it's definitely a catchy one with some great guitar hooks. "The Face of Extinction" is another great track off the release that really just hammers away at you from the start with intense guitars and drumming and has a very impressive, in not very short, guitar solo that works very well with the track's very short lifespan. These are just a few of the songs on here that stand out, with "The Aftermath of a Nuclear War" really being the only track that sticks out due to it feeling a bit out of place. Every other song on here is hard hitting and just does not let up.

As a whole, Domedagen is a solid release packed with great music that's not too original, but is still intense and sometimes infectious. The production quality of the release is, of course, not the greatest, but the raw qualities to this recording really seem to amplify the overall heaviness of the release, actually working in it's favor. The only problem with it is that many of the songs share a lot of similarities with the overall sound that is found here, and given the not-so-original compositions, Domedagen will wind up losing some of it's luster by the time you reach the end of your second time through. Even with that said, there's still plenty of tracks on here that are too intense to stay away from, and wind up making this a release that you will find yourself coming back to from time to time, and one worth sampling if you happen to get a chance.
//Apoch's