Although it’s been nine years between studio records, it’s not as if most of the members of Warmen have been idle in the time away – most notably keyboardist Janne Warman was an active part of Children of Bodom until their demise in 2019. This sixth studio record marks a first for the band, sticking to one vocalist for the entire album on Here for None, with Ensiferum’s Petri Lindroos joining the fold, along with new drummer Seppo Tarvainen. While previous efforts leaned more in a neoclassical, lighter power metal direction, it’s evident throughout this set of material that things went heavier and slightly faster in a melodic death/neoclassical direction befitting as a tribute to the much-missed CoB style.
The trademark synchronicity between keyboardist Janne and his guitarist brother Antti Warman shows up right away on the shredding tradeoffs during the instrumental sections of opener “Warmen Are Here for None” – the colder keyboard sections matching the vicious growls Petri delivers. The progressive nature to specific licks/riffs should make listeners take notice, the virtuosity along with speedier/extreme measures allowing “The Driving Force” and “Death’s On It’s Way” to command devil horns salutations along with unison gang background vocal support. Bassist Jyri Helko lays down a sinister mid-tempo groove during “Too Much, Too Late” that the rest of Warmen branch off from, the circular keyboard/guitar sequences melodic death nirvana. Compact, focused arrangements that pack a punch ensure no boredom or lack of creativity in the nine original songs – Seppo a masterful drummer in terms of his double kick / fill prowess next to regular tempo hitting duties to make “Hell On Four Wheels” a personal tour de force. As is tradition for the group, they take an 80’s pop or new wave track and make it their own – Ultravox’s “Dancing With Tears In My Eyes” given that heavier interpretation, still holding onto those fantastic musical hooks that made it popular back decades ago.
Warmen may be more of a regular, relevant entity now – as Here for None illustrates a quintet content to deliver neoclassical-oriented melodic death metal that is as catchy as it is progressive, not an easy feat in today’s scene.