Review by Felix on August 10, 2021.

I am not original - I prefer to lend my ears to songs that combine all elements I like to listen to. Usually, this music is performed by technically competent musicians. And that’s not all, I am almost sure that most of them do not earn much money with their art. Thus, I am listening to the songs of idealists. So, nothing can go wrong, right? Well, sometimes things are a little more difficult.

Welcome to Warfect, a trio from Sweden. Their album Exoneration Denied delivers ten pure thrash grenades – but their explosions do not have the impact thrash tracks can have. Why? Hard to explain. Let me have a look at my thrash metal checklist. Sawing, pretty violent guitars? Available. Precise drumming? Available. High velocity parts, but tempo shifts as well? Available. Solid, rather clean production? Available. Expressive lead singer? Well, the raw vocals avoid any high-pitched screams, they suffer from a monotonous appearance, but they are not bad. So far, so good, so Mustaine?

No, unfortunately not, because there is one thing missing. The English language knows the word “eyecatcher”, the Germans say “Blickfang”, and there is a good reason for this linguistic creation. It’s useful to attract potential clients with an eyecatcher. But there is no word like “earcatcher” (“Lauschfang”) and maybe that’s the reason why bands like Warfect think it is not necessary to write songs that catch the attention of the listener immediately. There are no catchy choruses, no unforgettable solos, no riffs which stand out of the millions of riffs of Warfect’s competitors. The songs of three dudes are like a visit to a peep show. One gets five nice minutes, but it’s not the real deal. And as soon as the 300 seconds are over, you get a kick in the ass, stand in the cold night air in the alley and nothing reminds you of what you saw or heard.

Let’s be clear. There is no song that annoys me. The Slayer-inspired riffing is okay, lukewarm Testament or academic techno thrash elements do not show up and the band is immune against non-thrashing influences. It is no waste of time to consume these 50 minutes of controlled aggression. But there can be no doubt that Warfect offer “second tier thrash”, although I do not know the exact definition of this kind of thrash. By the way, does a definition for it exist at all? It doesn’t matter. The Swedes play solid thrash, but the coherence of their songs leaves a bit to be desired. Some parts of the tracks do not blend seamlessly into each other, and the band is not able to create moments of ultimate tension, intensity or drama. Too bad, because I’m sure these guys have their heart in the right place.

Rating: 6.8 out of 10