Warhawk flew onto my radar fairly recently. By “fairly recently”, I mean the past few weeks, because the band itself has came together fairly recently. Formed in 2021, Warhawk now have a demo, a live EP, and 2 studio albums under their belt, the latter of the aforementioned 2 being the topic of today’s review, Dambuster. That’s quite a lot under their bullet belts in a day and age where most bands take their sweet time releasing new music! That said, Warhawk aren’t “most bands”. They are a fierce gang of rabid rock n’ rollers with a penchant for all things loud and filthy.
Upon first listen of Dambuster, the influence of one band stands tall above all others, and that band is Motörhead. Mind you, there isn’t a single hard rock or metal band of the past 45 years who hasn’t been influenced in some capacity by Lemmy and company. Anyone who says otherwise is lying. However, Warhawk make it crystal clear that they aren’t here to reinvent the wheel; they’re here to keep it (rock n’) rolling. This is something they do very well. While the musical tropes of dirty bassline, rollicking riffage, and gruff vocals may be rehashed, the songs themselves aren’t and stand out.
From the opening boogie metal assault of “Bombraid”, these boys make it clear that they love their rock n’ roll. Hell, there’s even a piano solo smack dab in the middle. Yes, you read that correctly! Not since Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Takin’ Care of Business” have the ivories been rocked so hard. Whether it be the raw catchiness of “Cut Me Loose”, primal simplicity of the title track, or tough grooves of “Dance with Death”, Warhawk keep it straightforward. Sure, there are some moments of deviation, but even so, that undying spirit of pure rock n’ roll remains pivotal to all that they unleash.
Knowing damn well that every filthrocker has a need for speed, Warhawk fulfills this with high velocity headbangers like the brilliantly titled “Skullet R’n’R Machine”, nasty d-beat driven proto-thrasher “Hounds of Hell”, and ultra-aggressive “Dags Att Dra”, which boasts a ripping shade of Midnight. My choice cut, “Please Don’t Go”, boasts dark, moody riffs and an equally bleak atmosphere, while the closing “Hawk of War” borders on early black metal, specifically channeling the devilish heroics of Venom on songs like “7 Gates of Hell” and “Manitou”. It’s these outlier moments that add depth and flavor to an otherwise no frills release.
For what it is, Dambuster does what it intends to do: Bust down dams, pummel your eardrums, and kick your ass. I can’t see anyone with an appreciation for hard and heavy music NOT digging this album immediately. I wouldn’t go so far to call it an instant classic, but there’s no shortage of songs on here that are bound to make my “metal party” playlist. Chances are a handful will make yours too. Don’t listen to reason. Pour that shot of Jack Daniels now, midday, and crank up Dambuster to 11!
7 out of 10
Label: Cimex Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Motörhead, Superchrist, Whitespade