Album Review: Warforged – I: Voice (The Artisan Era)

Progressive death metal/black metal/atmospheric metal band Warforged will release I: Voice on May 10th through The Artisan Era. It is the follow up to their widely acclaimed 2014 EP, Essence of the Land. The group generated massive buzz purely off the strength of their innovative music then, and are finally ready to return with a follow up worthy of building upon the strong foundation Warforged established previously.

Warforged comments on the upcoming release of I: Voice:

“I: Voice is the sum of 5 years of creativity and focused work. The music plays as a stream of consciousness – jumping often from one area of the metal spectrum to the next with recurring melodies and vibes throughout for the purpose of bringing about an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Since Essence Of The Land & “Two Demons” came out, we worked to build upon and elaborate on our musical style and mission statement. From what started as an idea of modern death metal with hints at black metal evolved into a more progressive, unique, and “epic” ethos. Horrifying & beautiful, dynamic & aggressive, harmony found through dissonance, an ebb and flow through drama and resolution, a flirtation with memory, a call for collaboration, personality, and reality – immense emotional energy seamlessly woven within the death metal genre.”

Leaning quite heavily towards a blacker metal sound, Warforged begin their epic and unconventional tome with brutality. We’ve Been Here Before is impressively heavy, the sound of a band raging as hard as possible but with odd atmospheric elements layered throughout. It keeps you on edge as there is no predicting just where the track or the following Beneath The Forest Floor will go. Although the latter’s machine gun fire riffs and drums is easier on the ears and the strumming melody segments work well.

Flipping from simplistic sounding harmony, diabolical heaviness and crushing bleakness to complex riffing, soloing and more. Cellar is a great example of Warforged throwing everything into a song and it sounding pretty damn great. It’s chaotic, especially near the end of the track, but it works so well.

The beastliness of Nightfall Came, the unconventional horror that is Voice with its screeching whines of guitar and the flashes of mellow combined with raging heaviness of Eat Them While They Sleep keeps things strong.

With no track going less then 6 minutes so far, I: Voice is a long album that gets even longer with the final three. Two tracks over 9 minutes long and one over 12, this is a tome as we said earlier. It’s hard not to become desensitised as Willow just sort of…happens.

Happily any malaise is knocked out of you with the excellent Old Friend. Initially quite haunting and beautiful, the atmospherics really heightened it. Really far away vocals, as if being shouted over a great distance are heard and it begins to build, the keys increasing in tempo. This goes on for almost 6 minutes of a 12 minute track but it’s great. When it does finally erupt, you’re ready to lose your mind to the black metal progressive heaviness.

Very impressive. Warforged then end their epic with one final showcase of savagery and beauty for The Color of Memory. A fine finish.

Warforged – I: Voice Full Track Listing:

1. We’ve Been Here Before
2. Beneath The Forest Floor
3. Cellar
4. Nightfall Came
5. Voice
6. Eat Them While They Sleep
7. Willow
8. Old Friend
9. The Color Of My Memory

The album can be ordered over on Bandcamp and via The Artisan Era here. Find out more and keep up to date with news by checking out Warforged’s Facebook Page, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Channel.