Artist: Warbringer
Title: Wrath & Ruin
Label: Nuclear Blast
Cat #: NPR1240DGS-BONUS
Release Year: 2025
Duration: Album
Format: 2 CD
Packaging Type: Digipak
Special Attributes: 2 CD edition

Wrath & Ruin is the seventh studio album from the American thrash metal band Warbringer.

SoCal thrash metal force WARBRINGER are back to end fans' eager wait with the highly anticipated new album Wrath And Ruin. Dubbed as “one of the best modern thrash outfits” by Exclaim!, WARBRINGER’s previous record, 2020’s Weapons of Tomorrow, was lauded by fans and critics alike. The album and its tracks received Best of 2020 nods from the likes of Consequence and Loudwire, with PopMatters going as far as to say, “With Weapons of Tomorrow, WARBRINGER’s inspired take on thrash metal seems to have reached its zenith.” 

On Wrath And Ruin, WARBRINGER continues their furious assault against the powers that be with eight new explosive rippers lyrically focused on inspiring listeners to recognize strength in numbers and actualize their class power. Tackling artificial intelligence, free will, and imperialism with their breakneck speeds, virtuosic blend of genre trademarks, and frontman John Kevill’s iconic silver tongue, WARBRINGER pushes the envelope yet again, into the next echelon. 

Wasting absolutely no time, Wrath And Ruin kicks off with the cataclysmic duo of “The Sword And The Cross” and “A Better World”, each featuring blistering speeds and jaw dropping drum work from blast commander Carlos Cruz. “Neuromancer” rides low and heavy with its hypnotic pulse propelled forward by unrelenting tremolo-picked leads and double bass pedal assaults. Aptly titled, “The Jackhammer” hits listeners over the head with a flurry of snare blasts and barrage of airtight thrash and slam inspired riffage. “Through A Glass, Darkly” indulges in deliciously gothic chord work and melodic leads embellishing Kevill’s already hellish vocal fry. “Strike From The Sky” is trademark thrash excellence quickly followed by the atmospheric, true cult epic “Cage Of Air”, with its tensely ornate dueling guitars on full display. Album closer “The Last Of My Kind” continues this dark gothic path with syncopated octave runs dancing around tightly dueling melodeath riffage. Wrath And Ruin sees WARBRINGER indulging in the darker elements of their sound, making it an excitingly devilish ride. 

Wrath And Ruin was produced by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder), and mastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound (Testament, Sepultura, Machine Head). Heading directly for the jugular, WARBRINGER revitalizes their sound on this record, continuing their unflinching campaign to inspire a brighter future and expand on their well established metal excellence.

Recommended if you like: Havok, Evile, Bonded By Blood, Power Trip, Suicidal Angels, Angelus Apatrida, Ultra-Violence, Dust Bolt, Municipal Waste, Kreator, Sodom, Tankard, Exodus, Exhumer, Heathen, Death Angel, Slayer, Overkill, Razor, Onslaught.

Track Listing:

CD 1
1. The Sword And The Cross
2. A Better World
3. Neuromancer
4. The Jackhammer
5. Through A Glass, Darkly
6. Strike From The Sky
7. Cage Of Air
8. The Last of My Kind

CD 2
1.  Firepower Kills (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
2.  The Black Hand Reaches Out (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
3.  Crushed Beneath the Tracks (Live in Nantes, France - April 20th, 2023)
4.  Living Weapon (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
5.  Woe to the Vanquished (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
6.  Living in a Whirlwind (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
7.  Guitar Solo/ Outer Reaches (Live in Nantes, France - April 20th, 2023)
8.  Shellfire (Live in Munich, Germany - April 5th, 2023)|
9.  Descending Blade (Live in Krakow, Poland - April 4th, 2023)
10. Hunter-Seeker (Live in Krakow, Poland - April 4th, 2023)
11. Defiance of Fate (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
12. Silhouettes (Live in Nantes, France - April 20th, 2023)
13. Remain Violent (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
14. Combat Shock (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)
15. Total War (Live in Budapest, Hungary - April 7th, 2023)