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| landscape = yes
| landscape = yes
| origin = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England
| origin = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]], England
| genre = [[Speed metal]], [[NWOBHM]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[Punk rock|punk]]
| genre = [[Speed metal]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[Punk rock|punk]]
| years_active = 1982–1993
| years_active = 1982–1993
| label = [[Neat Records|Neat]], [[Revolver Music|FM Revolver]]
| label = [[Neat Records|Neat]], [[Revolver Music|FM Revolver]]

Revision as of 08:31, 21 February 2024

Warfare
Background information
OriginNewcastle upon Tyne, England
GenresSpeed metal, heavy metal, punk
Years active1982–1993
LabelsNeat, FM Revolver

Warfare was a British heavy metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne that formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1993.[1] They were part of the latter stages of the new wave of British heavy metal.[2]

History

The band was founded in 1982[3] by drummer/singer Paul Evo, guitarist Gunner and bassist Falken. Evo had previously played drums in the punk/Oi! bands Major Accident, The Blood and Angelic Upstarts.[4] In 1984, Warfare released two singles and an EP. On their first single, the band covered "Two Tribes" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood.[2]

The group also released their debut album Pure Filth in the same year,[2] which was produced by Algy Ward from the band Tank. Cronos from Venom took over vocals and bass on the song "Rose Petals Fall from Her Face". Another EP, Total Death, was released in 1985.[2] The band played several concerts, with Atomkraft drummer Ged Wolf helping out on stage so that Evo could concentrate fully on the vocals.[2]

The second album Metal Anarchy was produced by Lemmy Kilmister from Motörhead,[2] with Motörhead guitarist Würzel as guest guitarist. The album was released towards the end of the year. Work then began on the third album. During the recording, bassist Falken left Warfare, leaving Cronos to play bass until Zlaughter joined the group as the new permanent bassist.[2]

The third album, Mayhem Fuckin' Mayhem, was produced by Cronos, who also sang guest vocals on "You've Really Got Me", a cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me". It was followed by a single with a cover of Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love". Several concerts followed before the album was released. They interrupted the performances of other bands, including Metallica;[2] Warfare's label Neat Records did not like this and waited until the matter was considered obsolete before releasing the album in 1987.[2]

The fourth album, A Conflict of Hatred, featured Mantas from Venom and keyboardist Lazer joined the band as a new member. After the album's release in 1988, the band moved to FM Revolver Records.[2] The album Hammer Horror, which was a tribute to the British Hammer film studios famous for their horror films, was released on this label in 1990.[5]

The band disbanded in 1993.[1] Paul Evo appeared as a guest musician on Warhead's 1995 album Warhead. In 2002, the compilation Metal Anarchy – The Best of Warfare was released on Neat Records with a selection of tracks from their releases.

Musical style

Warfare's style has often been compared to that of the bands Tank, Motörhead and Venom, each of whose members also produced one of their first three albums and contributed to several of their albums.[4][5][6] Chris Ward of OneMetal compared "Burn Down the King's Road" from their debut Pure Filth to Venom covering The Clash.[7] Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic called the album a slightly slower Motörhead and noted its punk influences.[8]

Urban "Wally" Wallstrom of RockUnited described Metal Anarchy as being "almost recorded live" in three days; the album "couldn't be more primitive and brutal". "If Poison is the glam version of US band Spın̈al Tap", Warfare is "definitely the blueprint of British comedy band Bad News". It was a "listening experience of ten different versions of 'Warriors of Ghengis Khan'".[4] According to Ward, the song "Living for the Last Days" would not have sounded out of place on Motörhead's album Orgasmatron, released the same year.[7] Wallstrom also described it as entertaining to hear Barry McGuire's anti-war song "Eve of Destruction" sung on the re-release of Metal Anarchy Evo. He described the style of the album as "1980s metal/punk/thrash" and a mix of Motörhead, Tank, Venom, Raven and Bad News.[4]

According to The Thrash Metal Guide, the music on A Conflict of Hatred developed "in the direction of more serious thrash" and was reminiscent of the Canadian band Piledriver and the debut album by Dark Angel, We Have Arrived. On Hammer Horror, the band introduced all tracks with orchestral passages and incorporated heavy, doom-heavy riffs in the style of Celtic Frost, atmospheric, "eerie" passages and, on Phantom of the Opera, female vocals and "spooky" keyboard melodies; hence The Thrash Metal Guide also sees the album as a forerunner for later doom/gothic metal bands.[5]

Members

  • Paul Evo – drums, vocals (1982–1993)
  • Falken – bass (1982–1985)
  • Gunner – guitars (1982–1990)
  • Zlaughter – bass (1986–1993)
  • Lazer – keyboards (1990)
  • Algy Ward – guitars (1991)
  • J.J. Bedsore – guitars (lead) (1991)
  • Fred Purser – keyboards (1991–1993)
  • Mantas – guitars (1992–1993)
  • Christopher Robert Labron – keyboards (1993)

Discography

Studio albums

  • Pure Filth (album, 1984, Neat Records)
  • Metal Anarchy (album, 1985, Neat Records)
  • Mayhem, Fuckin' Mayhem (album, 1986, Neat Records)
  • A Conflict of Hatred (album, 1988, Neat Records)
  • Hammer Horror (album, 1990, FM Revolver Records)

Other releases

  • Two Tribes (single, 1984, Neat Records)
  • This Machine Kills (single, 1984, Neat Records)
  • Noise, Filth and Fury E.P. (EP, 1984, Neat Records)
  • Total Death (EP, 1985, Neat Records)
  • Addicted to Love (single, 1987, Neat Records)
  • Metal City (split VHS mit Avenger, Venom und Saracen, 1987, Prism)
  • A Concept of Hatred (VHS, 1988, self-released)
  • Deathcharge (live album, 1991, R.K.T. Records)
  • Radio Hell: The Friday Rock Show Sessions (split mit Venom und Raven, 1992, Raw Fruit Records)
  • A Crescendo of Reflections (compilation, 1992, Kraze Records)
  • A Decade of Decibels (compilation, 1993, Bleeding Hearts Records)
  • Metal Anarchy – The Best of Warfare (compilation, 2002, Neat Records)
  • The New Age of Total Warfare (compilation, 2011, Southworld Recordings)

References

  1. ^ a b "Warfare (GB)". musik-sammler.de (in German). Archived from the original on 30 October 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Warfare Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  3. ^ Peart, Rick. "WARFARE – A Conflict Of Hatred". Voices from the Darkside. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d "RockUnited Reviews – REVIEWS ADDED 29 July, 2007 (WEEK 30)". rockunited.com. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "The Thrash Metal Guide – W". thethrashmetalguide.com. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
  6. ^ Stöver, Frank. "WARFARE: Metal Anarchy – The Best Of Warfare". Voices from the Dark Side. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013.
  7. ^ a b Ward, Chris (19 May 2011). "Warfare – The New Age of Total Warfare". onemetal.com. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012.
  8. ^ Warfare - Pure Filth Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 21 February 2024
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