Album Review: Warfist – Tuefels
Reviewed by Paul Hutchings
It may have taken Polish blackened thrashers Warfist over a decade to move from demo to full-length album, but the power trio have been making up for lost time with ‘Teufels’ their fourth album since 2014, when they roared out into the world with debut ‘The Devil Lives in Grűnberg’. The band comprise Mihu - Lead Vokills, Chainsaw, Nechrist - Bulldozer, Backing Vokills and Pavulon - Skullcrushing, Backing Vokills (their words, not mine) and they unashamedly worshiping at the altar of Venom, Bathory and Slayer.
‘Teufels’ is raw and gritty, which I assume is the intention of the band at the end of the day. Some of the tracks here are pure Venom clones, whilst the playing is agricultural in the extreme. The drums are like jackhammers you just want to bugger off before your head caves in, the riffs are routine, and the vocals are on a par with Chronos in 1984. In fact, it’s Mihu’s vocal delivery that is one of the biggest conundrums when listening to this 39-minute album for his delivery fits the music perfectly but in any other setting you’d be questioning your musical tastes. Slightly out of tune, never really unleashing a full vocal range, this is basic vocals that you’d expect to have improved by the fourth album. But then you suddenly realise that this is exactly what is needed. It’s filthy, dirty and with muck under the fingernails.
It's evident from the opening bars of ‘Tunes of Black Contagion’ that this album is going to be as original as a pub drunk picking to sing ‘My Way’ on karaoke night. It’s not even played particularly well, but there is something completely endearing about it. It might be the grit and endeavour; it might be the sheer refusal to conform, or it might be just the sheer middle finger to those that disapprove. Whatever, a couple of spins of the likes of ‘Rite of the Incubus’, ‘Scorching Trauma’ or even the cover of Arthur Brown’s ‘Fire’ will either have you warming to this in a way you might not have thought possible, or you’ll be throwing something at the stereo.
You can take your pick of songs on here, for they all follow a similar pattern. There are bits of everything in here. ‘Meadow of the Bizarre’ switches from Metallica to Maiden to Mercyful Fate, and you know what, it works damn well! The more time I spent with ‘Teufels’ the more I liked it. These guys are rough and ready, but if you had these blasting the skin of your face in a festival tent after several beers, you’d be racing to buy their merchandise. And with the balls to give a raucous cover of ‘Fire’ as their parting shot, they’ve completely won me over. If you like your thrash with extra blackened bits, then Warfist need to be on your list. If you don’t, stay away, for this will probably make you just a tad unwell.
