Review: “The Enemy Inside” by Warside

“This primitive urge to fight, to shout, to destroy and last but not least the instinct of survival. They believe that all human beings have these feelings bottled inside of them. They want to AWAKEN this dormant part of you. This brutal, unforgiving side which they call it “Warside””. That’s the mantra and mission of Lyon France Death Metal quintet Warside who have existed for two years prior to their debut release surfacing. That has given them the time to sharpen up the edges and as a band comprised of seasoned Metal musicians who have been part of Whisper-X, Hemerah and The Ocean, working during those times with Alan Douches (Nile, Pantera, Sepultura) while sharing stages with Gojira and Decapitated to name but two, they may feel like they have a score to settle…

…and if they do, they have gone about it the right way. After the eerie introduction piece sets the tone like the sound of air raid sirens rattling around in your brain after your ear drums have burst, the frantic urgency of “Fahrenheit 451” grabs you by the throat and drags you kicking and screaming to the underground bunker. Classic jagged Death Metal riffs are interspliced with bursts of Grindcore fury and momentary atmospheric breaks that play on the sinister before going back in for the kill before “Heroes shed no tears” leaps forth, going harder and faster than the previous cut while incorporating a pre-Slam territory roar during a circle pit seducing whirlwind of riffs and pulverizing rhythmic groove, their drummer Nathan giving more experienced musicians like Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Chimaira) a serious run for their money. The riffs are a Helter Skelter of rapid fire bursts with a frenetic fury that bounce off the electricity flowing through your brain like the latest designer drug, each one creating a spark with its urgent fretboard smoking efficiency and there is no doubt that the band operate a go hard or go home policy when it comes to the live shows, you can hear it bleeding through the material. They only slow down for an atmospheric solo before the blistering “History of violence“, a full on punch in the face of a track which somehow manages to shoehorn in an early career Lamb Of God style riff and a dive bomb into a schizophrenically frantic Thrash inspired solo as it does as the title says and depicts a history of War with bludgeoning force. That same Groove Metal riffing style is also heard, alive and well in “Feeding the crows” while a mid track Slam vocal part is something that was hinted at on earlier cuts but not quite delivered upon until this one and isn’t for the faint of heart but then neither is “Warside (II)” as it rampages through your ear drums like a bull in a China shop, smashing everything in its wake. If you’re after the kind of Metal onslaught that raises the hairs on the back of your neck and makes you laugh hysterically as fans of other genres recoil in horror at what you’re listening to, then this is the one [8/10]

Track listing

1. Chapter II
2. Fahrenheit 451
3. Heroes shed no tears
4. History of violence
5. Feeding the crows
6. Warside (II)

“The Enemy Inside” by Warside is out now and available over at bandcamp