Once musicians establish themselves in a specific style or niche, subsequent creative endeavors become more about appeasing personal instincts that hopefully translate to delightful output as they are released to the public. War Machine as the latest studio record for Impellitteri contains the ideal mix of heavy / power-oriented shred metal with the right elements of melodies, hooks, and solid songwriting mechanics that put this group on the map back in 1988 with their debut album Stand In Line and continually impressed many across the globe through efforts like Eye of a Hurricane in 1997, System X from 2002 and their last effort The Nature of the Beast back in 2018.
Chris’ balance between virtuoso riffs or lead break runs that reach the speed of sound along with tantalizing main rhythms that cause incessant headbanging continue throughout these eleven tracks. Highlights in that regard include the savage “What Lies Beneath” where you can feel his love of heavy, blues-based chords goes hand in hand with the neoclassical shred lead moments or the barnstorming energy throughout “Light It Up”. The drumming from former Slayer kit man Paul Bostaph represents a powerhouse clinic come to life – right away his fluid double kick and main mechanics put to the test through the opening bars of the title cut, never wavering through the final, exotic measures present on the finale “Just Another Day” (where the grandiose choir-like chorus booms as large as his thunderous fills). You also get some straightforward heavy cuts that reach back to 70s/80’s influences like Ozzy Osbourne, Judas Priest, Van Halen, or Loudness when “Out of Mind (Heavy Metal)” or “Gone Insane” run through, songs where the premiere, upper register voice of Rob Rock shine brightly as a beacon to match the uplifting musical foundation as one seamless force. Although self-produced by Chris, the mixing and mastering duties from Jacob Hansen properly position the sound of the record in a way to garner a wider array of listeners, not just the technically minded folks.
Properly serving up a full meal course of material while not overexerting the consumer as the record clocks in under 44 minutes, War Machine proves that Impellitteri are still at the top of their game when it comes virtuoso, melodic heavy metal. Throw the horns high to this one.