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WARLORD
Free Spirit Soar

High Roller (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

Forty-three years after their formation, Los Angeles heavyweights Warlord release their fifth full-length studio opus, albeit an album featuring just one original member in the form of drummer Mark Zonder (aka Thunder Child). Having been with the band since 2013, bassist Philip Bynoe is now somewhat of a veteran compared to vocalist Giles Lavery, guitarist Eric Juris (Crystal Viper) and keyboardist Jimmy Waldo (ex-Alcatrazz) who all joined the ranks in 2023.

So, Free Spirit Soar does beg the question, is it still Warlord? Well, what we’ve got here is essentially a fitting tribute to Warlord guitarist William J. Tsamis, who sadly passed away in 2021. According to the notes: “All songs were created from either fully arranged or partially complete instrumental musical demos of William J. Tsamis, with the exception of ‘Behold A Pale Horse’ and ‘Revelation XIX’ which were originally written and recorded in full (that being all words and music) by William J. Tsamis and were released on his Lordian Guard 1995 and 1997 releases”.

The album kicks off with ‘Behold A Pale Horse’, a track dominated by its spine of bass and the rather morose vocal delivery which feels more like narration to a lethargic chime of doom. From then on Warlord treats us to its strong brand of epic metal all-round mystique. The production helps of course, creating that old school vibe that many of us experienced on those early Warlord albums. Giles Lavery really suits the situation because he has such a slick, understated vocal style that really comes to the fore on the keyboard-peppered ‘Conquerors’ which is a real standout.

Elsewhere, the combo taps into the darker side with the ominous ‘Worms Of The Earth’ (which is one of the band’s oldest tracks), while seven-minute closer ‘Revelation XIX’ is an oddity marrying sci-fi strangeness and Iron Maiden. Eric Juris is a real force on this album, bringing an acceptable freshness to the stuffy Warlord gloom. His snaking axe work acts like a flitting bat sweeping through the nightly mists and is particularly strong on the mid-tempo ‘The Rider’ and CD bonus song ‘Twin’ with its melancholic air.

While the tracks may be reworkings, they all sizzle with a magic that Tsamis would be proud of, especially ‘The Watchman’ (another CD bonus song) and the colossal title track. Free Spirit Soar is simply an absorbing and emotional record that conjures spirits of the past while taking the majesty of Warlord into the future for newer fans to latch on to.

Neil Arnold

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