WARLORD - most underrated traditional metal act of all-time

That is my conclusion.

They didn't release many songs or play any shows, which pretty much explains their lack of widespread acceptance but what they did was outstanding.

Bill Tsamis's guitar riffing/melodies are wonderfully "metal" while being equally classical in nature. Mark Zonder is one of the rare drummers who brings adds to the magic and epic-ness of the songs instead of merely playing along. His playing reminds me of Cozy Powell crossed with Neil Peart.

The reunion album "Rising out of the Ashes" has some great moments but is brought down a notch by Cans' somewhat uninspired vocal performance. He sounds like he is not connecting on an emotional level with what he is singing, although he is for the most part relatively competent.

Hoping for another studio album, or at least some U.S. shows before I die ...

if this is the "Deliver Us From Evil" band, then I've never understood the fascination. They were pretty forgettable at the time.

I downloaded their stuff and actually deleted it after listening to it all over a couple of days. Didn't work for me. I thought they were 3rd rate 80's metal at best.

I like them. I was a fan when their albums first came out on Metal Blade back in the 80's. I had "And The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun' on vinyl. Sooooo wish I still had it.

They seem to have this small cult status now for die-hards who hold them in very high regard. Personally, there are several 1980's Metal Blade bands that didn't receive their due that I hold in higher regard such as Cirith Ungol, Savage Grace and Nasty Savage.

I didn't care for Bill Tsamis' Lordian Guard at all. Owned both of their CDs and eventually traded them off.

The "Tr00 arcane steele" cult seems to worship 'em but other than an odd track here and there on a compilation I don't believe I've ever heard much of their material.

Shawn D. wrote:

if this is the "Deliver Us From Evil" band, then I've never understood the fascination. They were pretty forgettable at the time.

Same band.

You think "Deliver Us From Evil" or "Child of the Damned" are forgettable songs?

I could see certain criticisms, but "forgettable"?

Those songs are certainly more memorable than the average Opeth tune, although I am not saying they don't have their own unique merits.

I enjoyed the tunes they had on the Metal Massacre lps. I did however get into Ciruth Ungol, Nasty Savage and especially Savage Grace alot more.

ultmetal wrote:

They seem to have this small cult status now for die-hards who hold them in very high regard. Personally, there are several 1980's Metal Blade bands that didn't receive their due that I hold in higher regard such as Cirith Ungol, Savage Grace and Nasty Savage.

CU and SG I need to listen to more, but NS to me really has not done anything to blow me away like WARLORD has. NS to me are very unmemorable. What are your top 5 favorite NS songs?

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I didn't care for Bill Tsamis' Lordian Guard at all. Owned both of their CDs and eventually traded them off.

Hated that stuff too, but when those basic songs were re-done in 2002 with the full "real" band some of them sounded amazing.

SpectreFate wrote:

I downloaded their stuff and actually deleted it after listening to it all over a couple of days. Didn't work for me. I thought they were 3rd rate 80's metal at best.

Maybe that is one of the hazards of d/l-ing metal ... that it doesn't have time to absorb.

I liked this band when I first heard them but it took me time to love them (like my love for FATES WARNING).

I can't think of many traditional metal bands that I think are superior to WARLORD. Maybe a dozen or two max. Certainly not garbage like SYMPHONY X or whatever is lauded in most circles these days.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Maybe that is one of the hazards of d/l-ing metal ... that it doesn't have time to absorb.

I liked this band when I first heard them but it took me time to love them (like my love for FATES WARNING).

I can't think of many traditional metal bands that I think are superior to WARLORD. Maybe a dozen or two max. Certainly not garbage like SYMPHONY X or whatever is lauded in most circles these days.

I thought I'd love them. I like 99% of the early Metal Blade roster, but this particular band was missing something. That "something" is whatever FW has on their classic MB albums. ATG and TSW sound just as fresh today as when I first heard them around '87.

Temple of Blood wrote:

Certainly not garbage like SYMPHONY X or whatever is lauded in most circles these days.

I don't even know who that is.

Quote :

Temple of Blood wrote:

Certainly not garbage like SYMPHONY X or whatever is lauded in most circles these days.

I don't even know who that is.

Go download some and tell us what you think.

A few Nasty Savage songs, off the top of my head...
XXX (the song that made me a fan. I believe it was on a Metal Massacre release)
Stabbed in the Back
Abstract Reality
Psychopath
No Sympathy

I don't know, I just tend to like their albums as a whole a lot. It's not just the riffs, or the songwriting, it's the combination of everything. Nasty Ronnie's vocals were so cool, plus they were one of the early speed metal bands that I got into. Might be nostalgia considering I got into them rather early, as I did Warlord, Cirith Ungol, Fates Warning, Savage Grace, Armored Saint, etc. Another one that I forgot about until just now that I use to dig a lot was Pandemonium.

Now I gotta put on some NS. Good thing I have some on my iPod.

I have the Best of Warlord compilation which I think has all of their Metal Blade tracks on it. I haven't listened to it in years but I will check it out this weekend.

I haven't actually listened to Warlord in quite some time as well. Might have to dig that CD out and give it a fresh spin.

Their albums are so hard to come by these days.

SpectreFate wrote:

I downloaded their stuff and actually deleted it after listening to it all over a couple of days. Didn't work for me. I thought they were 3rd rate 80's metal at best.

Pretty much my exact story...

I like them a lot.

Hard to say if they are the most underrated, a lot of great bands are underrated, but Warlord are for sure in my top 10. All their songs are pure gold IMO, don`t understand the forgettable and meh reaction here, but to each their own...

I agree, one of the best US METAL bands ever, i love them!!!!!!!!!!!

So I pulled out "The Best of Warlord" and gave it a fresh spin today. It's a good classic metal album. It's just one of those underrated gems from the early Metal Blade years.

The production is very drum heavy with the guitars buried and the keys sometimes drowning out the guitars. It's fairly obvious a drummer mixed this album. The vocals are good, though not terrible charismatic. The music overall is melodic, moody, dark and fairly heavy for it's time. I love the song "Children of the Damned", but to be honest I like Hammerfall's version better than the original.

This Warlord is very good, also.

http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Foe-Hammer-Warlord/dp/B00000J81L/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1310690216&sr=1-1

If I remember correctly I got Deliver Us From Evil right around the same time as Trouble's debut (retitled Psalm 9 later)...the Trouble record didn't leave my turntable for months and the Warlord collected dust...until I eventually sold it.

I had moved away from the "classic metal" sound within a year and was focusing on thrash and doom.

I never really re-acquired a taste for classic metal. I still liked Priest and Maiden and a few other bands, but when I revisit the 80's now that's usually not the style I gravitate towards.

Temple of Blood wrote:

SpectreFate wrote:

I downloaded their stuff and actually deleted it after listening to it all over a couple of days. Didn't work for me. I thought they were 3rd rate 80's metal at best.

Maybe that is one of the hazards of d/l-ing metal ... that it doesn't have time to absorb.

I liked this band when I first heard them but it took me time to love them (like my love for FATES WARNING).

I can't think of many traditional metal bands that I think are superior to WARLORD. Maybe a dozen or two max. Certainly not garbage like SYMPHONY X or whatever is lauded in most circles these days.

Your opinion, but as far as I'm conserned, Symphony X is certainly NOT garbage.

Have to say I dont agree. I had a little interest but soon found they were a pretty generic band for the genre.

kmorg wrote:

Their albums are so hard to come by these days.

They are. I like Warlord a lot. They had a lot of atmosphere for fairly sparse production, but the riffing and drumming is what makes it stand out for me.