Metalcore merchants the Warriors come across like seasoned pros on their 2004 Eulogy debut War Is Hell -- but then, the band's members seem to have been extremely attentive students of the early-'90s hardcore teachings of
Sick of It All,
Murphy's Law and
Agnostic Front. More recent touchstones from both the punk (
Refused) and metal (
Converge) worlds also inform the gang-shout choruses and general guitar and drum detonations of songs like "Slings and Arrows," "The Cure" and the title track -- all of which regularly display a fondness for flashy guitar work that more basic punk rock would never touch. Save for a lone exception during "Scene Celebrity," the crossover line is drawn at proper guitar solos, but that invisible barrier still offers a good amount of creative leeway for dual six-stringers Danny Phillips and Javier Zarate to experiment with. Like nails on a chalk-board, vocalist Marshall Lichtenwaldt's hysterical, almost child-like shrieking and infrequent death metal grunts ("Sling and Arrows," "More Than a Metaphor") can get a little grating after a while, but his more straightforward singing is far more effective for boasting a command and cadence reminiscent of
Rage Against the Machine's
Zack de la Rocha (see "Red, Black, & Blue" and "Set the Stage"). In fact,
Rage Against the Machine becomes an increasingly prevalent influence as the album wears on, with additional experimental guitar sounds finding their way into the intro of "Ripped to Bone," the counterpoint harmonies of "Transistor," and the spiraling melodies of "Lightning Strikes." Along with good old-fashioned solid songwriting instincts, all of the above makes War Is Hell a very engaging and promising debut for the Warriors. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia