WARLORD - And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun ... CD
HRR 714CD, slipcase, poster, extensive booklet
High Roller Records, reissue 2023, slipcase, poster, extensive booklet, 8 bonus tracks, remastered and restored by Patrick W. Engel at Temple of Disharmony. 01 Beginning 02 Lucifer's Hammer 03 Lost and Lonely Days 04 Black Mass 05 Soliloquy 06 Aliens 07 MCMLXXXIV 08 Child of the Damned 09 Deliver Us from Evil 10 End 11 Lost and Lonely Days (12'' Maxi 1984) 12 Aliens (12'' Maxi 1984) 13 Intro Theme (Demo 1985) 14 Father (Demo 1985, Rick Anderson Vocals) 15 Father Mother Sister (Demo 1985) 16 Child of the Damned (Demo, Steve Fontaine Vocals) 17 Winds of Thor (Demo, Steve Fontaine Vocals)
01 Beginning
02 Lucifer's Hammer
03 Lost and Lonely Days
04 Black Mass
05 Soliloquy
06 Aliens
07 MCMLXXXIV
08 Child of the Damned
09 Deliver Us from Evil
10 End
11 Lost and Lonely Days (12'' Maxi 1984)
12 Aliens (12'' Maxi 1984)
13 Intro Theme (Demo 1985)
14 Father (Demo 1985, Rick Anderson Vocals)
15 Father Mother Sister (Demo 1985)
16 Child of the Damned (Demo, Steve Fontaine Vocals)
17 Winds of Thor (Demo, Steve Fontaine Vocals)
AVAILABLE
Mastered by Patrick W. Engel at TEMPLE OF DISHARMONY, February - March 2016
Legendary US Metal band Warlord was formed in 1981 by Mark Zonder and William J. Tsamis. One year later, in 1982, the song “Lucifer’s Hammer” (based on a novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle) appeared on the prestigious compilation album »Metal Massacre II«. This resulted in a deal with Metal Blade Records, with Warlord recording their debut mini-album. »Deliver Us« was released in 1983 and is today considered as the blueprint for what was later to be called “Epic Metal”.
»Deliver Us« was followed by »And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...« in 1984. Technically speaking, it was a soundtrack album promoting the full-length video the band had filmed themselves. A bold move in the year 1984. As one can imagine, financing was not that easy, as drum legend Mark Zonder explains: “I borrowed a bunch of money as we thought a great way to promote the band was to make a video that people around the world could see as touring was difficult and rather expensive. Metal Blade did not put up a dime for this. So much for support and helping to break the band. People don’t know it, but with all of the technical problems in doing this, what you see on film is all that we shot. It was a one-take video! We thought we would shoot multiple time and edit, but as it worked out, there was no time. That is why you see very, very little of the drums.”
»And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...« contained partly unreleased material and partly material from »Deliver Us«. Wouldn’t it have been better to have followed »Deliver Us« with a second, all-new studio album? “We were more concerned with showing the world the band in a visual sense,” is Mark Zonder’s answer. “Remember, there was no internet and youtube. We had several meetings with top managers and booking agents and they all said the same thing … great stuff but your label will never support it to the point that it needs to be. We were kind of dead in the water. Also at the time, Metal Blade did not want another record, that is why we did the “Aliens”/”Lost And Lonely Days” 12” single. Their idea. Believe me, we had plenty of songs ready to go apart from those...”
So in a way, with »And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...« being a video soundtrack album and »Deliver Us« a studio record, it is hard to compare the two. Mark Zonder cites the similarities: “Both had nasty production as money was very tight. »Deliver Us« was done for $800. It was an eight track recording with both bass drums and the bass guitar shoved to one track. »And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...« had even worse production from a studio that could not even get the phasing correct as we found out when it was time to master. I still think to this day »Deliver Us« is a classic, without a doubt.”
Same as »Deliver Us«, the High Roller Records de luxe triple vinyl re-issue of »And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun...« contains a multitude of fantastic bonus material, carefully mastered and partially restored by Patrick W. Engel at his Temple Of Disharmony between February and March 2016. “If you are talking about all of the demos and stuff,” says Mark Zonder, “my favourite is ‘The Rainbow’ as well as ‘Child Of The Damned’ sung by a singer auditioning named Steve Fontaine.”
Up until the present day, people argue about who the main protagonist in Warlord was: Mark Zonder or William J. Tsamis (whom Mark tends to call Bill)? “Warlord was Bill’s concept,” states Mark Zonder. “I jumped on board, but it was him. He had a million different ideas that were spectacular. Very imaginative and creative but just never got the chance for mass exposure.”
Matthias Mader
Q
Every once in a while you find an album that just clicks on every level, with no one reason why it’s good – it’s just enjoyable, a melding of hooks, energetic songwriting, powerful electric musicianship, everything adding up to an intangible kind of thing. A ja ne sais quoi sort of thing where you just hear it and go ‘oh, shit, this is just immaculate’ without any kind of critic brain or older persons’ cynical nature. Just like the idyllic way you heard your favorite bands for the first time. Sometimes you just hear stuff like Warlord's debut album and go 'ah that's what good music is, it's so easy to enjoy.' Sometimes you don't need analysis. It just hits you right and that's how you get favorite songs and bands. But that doesn't make for a review, so...
Warlord were an old 80s legend despite not having much in the way of material – a bunch of these songs are rerecorded from their EP and would be redone again and again years later. But if they’re this good, then I am not inclined to complain. This thing is like 30 minutes long and doesn’t waste a note. The band’s sound is right in the sweet spot as metal was getting rid of its old hard rock influences but before it got the thrash fever later – so if you like the sounds of classic Maiden or Diamond Head or bands like that, that crisp, galloping riff-focused, kinetic classic metal sound, this is like mana from heaven. Interestingly this was recorded live in the studio. I think that adds something too, a kind of frenetic, electric energy you don’t always get from studio recordings – it’s just this cool extra jolt of energy hearing these dudes just fucking bash out these songs.
In spite of that it’s not a rough punkish listen. By contrast it’s got just the right level of polish to come off classy as fuck. None of the songs are bad. “Lucifer’s Hammer” is a volleying blast of energy, and other tracks like “Aliens” and the album high point in the speedy adrenaline of “Child of the Damned” are just exactly what you want from this early 80s kind of metal. Elsewhere they do some commercial stuff like the slick “Lost and Lonely Days,” and “Soliloquy,” which is as suave and melancholic as a metal tune from this genre gets, show off the band’s dimensions. There’s just no weak songs at all.
Guitarist William J Tsamis just had an inimical style, not overly technical but just with this sense of cracking power and the right amount of virtuosity and flair to stand out from the pack. His writing style melds these strident riffs with ultra-melodic vocal hooks, this time delivered by singer Rick Cunningham, who has a sort of understated voice, a nice midrange that ends up growing on you with the verve and style he puts into this performance. Mark Zonder’s drumming is an insane acrobatic thing, easily the most virtuosic instrument here, a contrast to the smooth accessibility of the rest in a good way, adding an extra kick to it all. The songwriting is just instantly memorable and has genuine character, with every one a unique identity, fully formed. It feels like these songs just came into being by themselves, organic things, born of the aether into your speakers.
So yeah – go get it.