Texas Metal Alliance / Warbeast

I asked my non-metal friend to pick a few bands at random from the Metal Archives to check out for the site while I’m enroute to (ugggh) Manitoba for a family reunion. He’s from DFW so he typed “Texas” into the search box, of course, and got Texas Metal Alliance! Who became Warbeast sometime in the first half of 2009. This worked out really well for me because I saw them in August in Austin with Down and they slayed there, and just released their debut full-length album a month ago that I’ve been meaning to check out. The night I saw them play was likely the greatest night of my entire life, so getting to think about how far I have come from the place I’m currently flying to is really fitting. I’ve had a chance to speak briefly with Bruce Corbitt (who fronts for this band and Rigor Mortis) since the August show, and he is a super nice guy, as well as being really talented.

The day of the show in Austin, it was about 100 degrees outside, which is super hot to a pale white Canadian. Add about 300 people packed into a tiny, tiny venue and it was sweltering. After Honky and Warbeast had played, I had to go outside because I felt like I was going to throw up from heat exhaustion (see pale white Canadian explanation, above). Turned out that you couldn’t go back in after you went outside, but after I explained my Canadianness and let them make fun of me awhile, they let me back in with no problems. Austin is my favourite city to go to a show in because it’s so laid back and cool. The bands all hung out outside for hours after the show with no security or attitude.

Anyway, enough about me, TMA had a demo, but the songs are also on the full-length, which is why I’m combining them into one post. I wish they’d kept the name Texas Metal Alliance because it’s a badass name, but I don’t know the story as to why they changed it.  They’re pretty much a bit of a thrash supergroup, with members from two DFW thrash bands, Gammacide and Rigor Mortis. The album, “Krush the Enemy” was released by Housecore Records and produced by Philip Anselmo!    I’m about 8 posts into this project and I already have a huge bias towards bands from certain areas over others. I want to like everything from Austin/DFW, New Orleans, and Vancouver. It’s funny, writing down my thoughts on what I’ve listened to makes it really obvious how stuck I am in my musical taste. That said, as much as I could try to dislike Warbeast to eliminate my bias, it’s not going to happen because this album is amazing.

It’s thrash, but throughout the album you can hear influences of death and black metal as well. The production is pretty incredible, you can hear every instrument as much as you SHOULD hear it. Some amazing drum work and interesting guitar riffing and solos throughout, the bass isn’t intrusive and tightly supports the rest and Bruce Corbitt sounds great. It’s a talent to be able to sing in a way that growls AND makes the lyrics distinguishable. His voice is very distinct and perfect for the style.

Warbeast has a ton of energy, live and on the album. This is an album for someone who can’t get enough old school thrash like Slayer & Kreator. Which is me, pretty much. Of the albums I’ve heard released in 2010, this is easily in the top ten. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a pretty huge Down/Pantera fan. If Phil decides to retire from being a frontman, there is some comfort in that he’ll be helping to get records like this made.

10 STARS! (Even though I don’t have a rating system ) I might have to edit the hell out of this after I’ve slept because I’m running on about four hours sleep in the last 60 awake or so.

On Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/warbeastdfw

On Metal Archives:

Warbeast: http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=3540305952

Texas Metal Alliance: http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=125622

Official site: http://www.warbeast.org/