Warmonger is a new Thrash Metal band from Venezia in Italy. Along with newer acts such as Baphomet's Blood they are going to continue the country's great Thrash Metal history with legendary bands like Bulldozer, Fingernails or Drunkards.
Guitarist Ricky explains how the band was formed: 'Warmonger was born in 2001 from the members of two bands: Warpath and Deathfreak. The aim of the band was to play old school Thrash metal mixing the European and Bay Area style. Shortly after being formed, we played a lot of gigs in our area and then North Italy too ... We also played a couple of devastating gigs in Germany, at 'Walpurgis Metal Days 3' in Passau and at the Mosh club in Chemnitz. We had the pleasure to play with many great bands like Tankard, Desaster, Onslaught, Piledriver, Zemial, Artillery, Assassin, Death SS, Pungent'stench and more. Unfortunely, we have disbanded just one year ago, in 2008, for some problems within the band ... Even if we have recorded material yet to be released.'
Whilst'still alive, Warmonger have recorded three demos: 'Marching on the Warpath' (2002), 'Beermaniac' (2004) and a split-CD with close friends Death Mechanism called 'Thrashing War Mechanism'. Another mini-CD called 'Escalation of Violence' (their last ever work) has been recorded but remains unreleased as of now.
However, 'Rit's of Vengeance', just released on High Roller Records, is Warmonger's official debut LP. It contains songs from the 2005/06 period. Ricky is pround of this piece of vinyl history, and rightly so: 'It's a 45 minute bonecrashing piece of Thrash Metal, and we're all immensly proud of it. I think it will be a pleasure for every Thrasher's ear! You will never stop banging your head from the beginning to the end of this record.' With a storming version of 'Into the Crypts of Rays' placed on 'Rit's of Vengeance' Warmonger pay tribute to one their favourite bands: 'We decided to cover that Celtic Frost'song 'cause we wanted to have a classic to play during our live gigs, everybody knows that'song. And we're all so much into that great band. Then after having played it thousands of times, we choose to put it on the album as a tribute. I think it's a good and really heavy version of that classic song.'
The formation of Warmonger neatly tied in with the world-wide revival of Thrash Metal, which gave the band a headstart, as Ricky points out: 'Yes, when we started to play with Warmonger, the global interest in Metal in Italy was renewed ... But I think that this revival is just not here in this country but all over the world. There are good Thrash bands fomring all over the world. Nowadays everybody knows Metal music through the internet. Years ago it was really different, there were a lot of zines and tapetraders. Italian bands Bulldozer and Fingernails have reformed, they both go back to the '80's. For me the best young bands in Italy, talking about Thrash, are Death Mechanism, Torment and Insane.'
Although Warmonger is not an an active unit anymore, all band members will forever remain big Thrash Metal supporters: 'We are all fans of the '80's Thrash Metal scene. We' ve been into this kind of music for many years. For me, bands like Whiplash, Kreator, Slayer, Dark Angel, Sodom, Tankard and Exodus have been more than just a musical influence. Thrash Metal is my lifestyle!'
Matthias Mader (Iron Pages)
-The Coming (Intro)
-Possessed by Metal
-Senseless War
-Warmonger
-Rabid Sex Ambition
-T.N.T.
-Into the Crypts of Rays (Celtic Frost cover)
-Right of Vengeance
-Merciless Riot
-Spiral Oppression
-Nothing Behind the Mask (Bonus Track)*
-The Warpath (Bonus Track)**
