The almighty quintet Warkings returns to deliver battle-tested power metal through Armageddon. After releasing four studio albums in five years, the band was finally able to hit the stage on tour and in some festival action to give them a reprieve from the confines of various recording facilities. Thus Armageddon has the added benefit of time – over two and a half years to assess where they are and where they would like to take their sound. Using outside songwriting help as well as three separate engineers / producers ensures a maximum, full-on sonic impression – beyond the special guest appearances from members of Orden Ogan, Dominum, and Subway to Sally on specific tracks.
Valiant power chords, majestic choirs, proper orchestration positioning set up the main songwriting components to the highest degree. “Kingdom Come” contains that mid-tempo riff foundation for The Tribune as a singer to shine effortlessly in the lower register verses to the triumphant nature in the chorus. When the band pushes the BPM meter, the presence of Morgana le Fay’s extreme to clean versatility shines especially on the jagged “Morgana’s Incantation”, more than capable to keep up with the sharp guitar attack and thunderous transitions from drummer The Spartan. All the fantasy / sound effects come into focus to supplement the normal instrumentation – main producer Felix Heldt emphasizing bigger choirs throughout, as you’ll hear a lot of cinematic tension on cuts like “Troops of Immortality” and the heavier, Powerwolf-esque title track. Seeb of Orden Ogan appears on “Genghis Khan”, the exotic strains giving the duet nature a deeper battle cry sophistication, while “Stahl auf Stahl” featuring Subway to Sally is an English meets German sung effort that contains a great mix of both bands power / folk comfort zones.
No track ever hits the four-minute mark – so if you find that one song disappoints you, there will be another to come around the corner before you know it. Warkings exist in that fantasy/historical power metal genre that takes you away from every day life to enjoy the spirit of this style best – in all its live action, role-playing glory. Armageddon hits all the bells and whistles once again with consistency.