War Master 1991

"There are those who claim that Bolt Thrower have not changed over the years. That is incorrect. Bolt Thrower have steadily improved as musicians and adjusted their style accordingly. There is a universe of difference between their first releases and their most recent ones. Their early efforts are, and I normally become very unpopular when I say this, not very good.

"War Master" is a decent and respectable effort with a lot of good ideas. There are a lot of break-downs and build-ups that work really well on this album, and a lot of nasty (in the good way) riffing. The Bolt Thrower signature heaviness is also there, and the production is not bad either. So, in terms of musicality, there is a lot of good stuff here.

However, in terms of musicianship, this albums leaves a lot to be desired. Especially the drumming could, well, should have been better. It is very sloppy and just as untight as on "Realm of Chaos". That is a problem in a genre like death metal, in which the drums are just as prominent as the guitars, while basically carrying the song in question rhythmically. That being said, Bolt Trower have cut back on the blast beats on this album, which works well in terms of variation (I've always thought that blast beats were more effective and more brutal if they don't crop up all the time).

So, there are a lot of good stuff on this album, and it is also an important album in the history of death metal; I think most fans of death metal would like it, but don't expect it to be as crisp and perfectly executed as most present-day death metal releases are. A respectable album, but it is only on "The IVth Crusade" that Bolt Thrower really start handing out goodies to the metal people.

(review was originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"