Band:	Battlecross
Album:	War Of Will
Style:	Melodic death metal, Thrash metal
Release date:	July 2013

01. Force Fed Lies
02. Flesh & Bone
03. Never Coming Back
04. My Vaccine
05. Get Over It
06. Ghost Alive
07. Wage A War
08. The Will To Overcome
09. Beast
10. Never-Ending Night

Geeeezzzzz Louise!

Sorry, I just can't stop smiling! As I write this review I am listening to War Of Will again, and I am most definitely in awe. I am smiling because this band kicks insurmountable amounts of ass! This melodic thrash metal band is a beacon of ballsy, sexy hope for the American metal scene. They throw down!

There is something here for everyone: great and powerful vocals, "phat", shredding guitars and extremely fast-paced drums (not as fast as Nile, we're talking human speeds here), with wonderful precision and lovely fills; drums on the album are provided by Shannon Lucas (ex-The Black Dahlia Murder, ex-All That Remains). The dual guitarists here are Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala (quite a mouth full I know!), and they SHRED. And when I say shred, I mean they play very well! Bassist Don Slater is an unsung highlight here, if you are ever to watch him play in live videos he is definitely cream of the crop ladies and gentlemen. But it is very hard to hear his wicked bass on the album at times, as is a common occurrence in metal these days. Lastly the vocals, Kyle "Grumby" Gunter puts Johan Hegg (vocals, Amon Amarth) to the test with his wicked beard, piercing screams, and relentless growls. He may be a skinny, lanky dude, but he is a creative and forceful presence, both lyrically and vocally.

Now that I am done talking up this talented band, let's get to the album. "Force Fed Lies" is the first single off the CD, and a MASSIVE way to start an album. This song is pure awesome opossum with a lovely intro that consists of a rough chuggin' riff right into the chorus. And DAT MELODY in the chorus makes me close my eyes and tilt my head slightly to the left with delight, sort of like when you smell a delicious meal on your plate at dinner, except in this meal you are being "Force Fed Lies" and you LOVE IT! "Flesh and Bone" is my favorite song on the album, again expertly composed, but where this song shines is the breakdown. You have a videogame-esque, hammer-on guitar lick (which is cool enough by itself), and then add a wonderfully syncopated low chugging rhythm that drops in and out behind the lead rhythm. Then shortly after, a wonderful, quick solo ensues to shred your head so hard. The next two tracks, "Never Coming Back" and "My Vaccine", both have excellent thrash energy and melody, and maintain a fast pace throughout. Track #5, "Get Over It", is freaking beautiful! The core of the song is a naughty thrash beat down with memorable riffs, a sick breakdown, and a meaty succulent meter-changing part near the end that all lead to the epic, melodic outro with a delicious drum solo. This leads into "Ghost Alive", which continues the fist-pounding and the head banging; keep in mind, if you were to head bang to this album all the way through, you will snap your neck and rupture your esophagus. "Wage The War" starts out pretty and slow, and then hits it hard, has a great chorus and quite an awe-inspiring bridge. "The Will To Overcome" will inspire you to take life by the horns with its full-throttle approach that you can't help but not love, and those pig squeals?almost as good as Zakk's (amirite?!). I have been waiting this entire review to get to this song, "Beast". Much like its name, this song is an animal of a thing. It is BRUTAL, with very odd chords making you cringe with anger as Grumby describes his struggles with his inner beast; something I believe all men can relate to. To end it all we have a wonderfully catchy "Never-Ending Night" which ends this masterpiece with a KA-SPLOOGE.

Well, War Of Will is a masterpiece of modern American metal. If you are a metalhead, and haven't bought it yet...for shame! This is definitely an album that will go down as a classic. Please support these fine gentlemen and buy their hard work!!! Go see them! War Of Will will not disappoint!