War Hungry (self titled)

War Hungry have been one of my favourite bands for ages now and I was so excited to see them releasing a full length. I have to admit though you have to have an acquired taste for this band as they do have an original sound and the lyrics take a while to get used to. Combining some pretty heavy hardcore mixed with a sludgy metal sound with plenty of groove. As expected their self titled full length contains all of these elements which I can say they pull off perfectly. I think vocally this could possibly be their best release but there are a few elements that seem to have changed but only slightly and for the best!

This 8 track monster of an album kicks off instantly with the track The Bottom which to me has a very old school metallic sound to it. The guitar riffs execute a very heavy metal testosterone fuelled which breaks into a chugging, grooving tune which will make you bang your head. War Hungry have kept the same sort of song structures which complements their style of music and I don’t think they should do it any other way. Broken on the Wheel starts immediately after the first track has finished. There are not really any pauses between songs so boredom is off the list. I love the classic late 80’s early 90’s metal sound to the guitars and drums mixed with the slow paced dragged out vocals. This band has a bit of everything for everyone. You have the varied tempos of each song rapidly changing from the slower sludgy riffs to the fast paced thrashing metallic sequences, some intense technical solos which bust out of nowhere, memorable basslines and addictive grooving riffs which will leave you moshing all day long.

I’m quite fussy with the metallic edge style of hardcore but War Hungry are an exception. Their music is interesting and they have such a diverse sound that almost sections off from the usual hardcore sound. Songs Empire of Idols, Sleeping Dogs Lie, Been Without Being and Pulse all contain memorable rhythms and they mix up the instrumental patterns frequently which is entertaining. There is a lot of chugging grooves in this album but they know how to integrate it well into their timing sequences so fits nicely in among the vocals that almost sound as if they are echoing on each song.

As an overview, this full length completely sums up War Hungry as one of the most solid bands from the USA. They have an original sound that no band can compete with, which breaks the normal boundaries hardcore song writing. I hope you all enjoy listening to this record as much as I do!