Teamwork at its finest – review of Warmen’s upcoming album “Band of Brothers”

The key to acquiring proficiency in any task is repetition. That’s what Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory says. And he’s absolutely not wrong. So the key to be an awesome band must be to get together, play together, and compose together. I would say that Warmen fit in this description quite nicely, because they’re about to release a new album quite soon, titled “Band of Brothers”.

I know that technically any workplace that describes themselves as “family” is immediately a red flag, but I honestly believe that these five Finns can be an exception. “Band of Brothers” sounds very much like a collective effort, and not just a side project of Janne ‘Warman’ Wirman. While the cardinal elements of the band are still the very same (like powerful keyboards, massive guitars and interesting melodies), there is still space for innovation.

To have such a talented vocalist like Petri Lindroos and not take advantage of his guitar skills would be a terrible mistake, and luckily for us that has been avoided, because Petri is much more present with his instrument this time around. Seppo Tarvainen on drums continues to amaze with his relentless performance, and while Jyri Helko is sometimes hidden in the mix with his bass (but shines in “The Kiss of Judas“!), Antti Warman completes the rhythmic section with elegance and sophistication.

Tracks like “Out of Blood” or “Untouched” or the title track reveal how fantastic this ensemble is, and there is no doubt that a lot of effort went into preparing this product. The final result is most homogeneous, but still the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Warmen are truly united by a bond that is stronger than everything, and “Band of Brothers” is the ultimate confirmation of indisputable expertise.

So if you enjoy melodic death metal with power elements, please do not miss out on Warmen. They are really one of the strongest reality in the genre nowadays; I would also recommend catching them live, since they have a lot of shows planned for the remaining of this year!

Tracklist:

1. Band of Brothers
2. One More Year
3. Nine Lives
4. When Doves Cry Blood
5. Out of Blood
6. Kingdom of Rust
7. March or Die
8. Untouched
9. Coup de Grâce
10. Dethroned
11. The Kiss of Judas