ALBUM REVIEW: Morgana – Warkings
If you’re going to give your band a gimmick, then you have to go all out unless it’s clear you’re making a mockery of something or someone; half-arsing an attempt will see your stock plummet quicker than an elephant off a cliff. WARKINGS, a power metal quartet from all over Europe, are well aware of this and have embraced their own brand of silliness with such vigour that it’s come full circle and worked to perfection. Of course they all have offstage personas, but they’re otherwise known as The Tribune (vocals), The Crusader (guitar), The Viking (bass) and The Spartan (drums), and Friday 11th November marks the release of their fourth album Morgana via Napalm Records, and this one features a special guest in Morgana Le Fay on guest vocals, who fits with WARKINGS lore better than whatever gloves you’re donning for the winter ahead…
A brief recap for those encountering this band for the first time – on WARKINGS‘ 2018 debut Reborn, the intrepid foursome were captivated by Morgana‘s singing and, with the sorceress obsessed with telling her own story, she convinced the band to tell it on their next album. Given the title, she clearly succeeded, and this tale is divulged over four distinct acts – opening track Hellfire, about her estranged relationship with King Arthur, is a soaring back-and-forth number, The Tribune taking on the role of the king as Morgana‘s foil. Monsters discusses the darkness in us all, a more straightforward power metal affair dripping in cheese, but with a lovely chugging riff to back it up. Heart Of Rage brings in more acoustic guitar, but otherwise follows a similar formula as Morgana admits she wishes to forgive all who have hurt her, before Immortal brings the quadrilogy to an end as its revealed Arthur and Morgana‘s souls are reborn again and again because, well, they’re immortal, a lovely guitar solo from The Crusader adding some much needed pep to proceedings.
The storyline running through the record is one thing, but it’s the songs around it that impress the most. To The King dips its toes into battle metal territory and, where Hellfire lit the match, this one sparks the album into life. Last Of The English is a fist-pumping anthem entrenched in the likes of SABATON and POWERWOLF with another stellar solo from The Crusader, and Row (Into The Storm) will be one that gets anyone with a love for AMON AMARTH appropriately excited. However, with these songs alternating from those associated with the album title, the momentum is in fits and bursts, gathering pace before being stifled quickly again; that’s not to say the Morgana storyline is terrible, but the songs aren’t on the same level. As such, the final trio of Shame, The Rite and Legend Untold are allowed to build on each other properly and the record finishes at a canter, although one may have hoped it was more of a gallop
All frustrations aside at the track placement, Morgana is a good, solid power metal album with flashes of greatness. Despite this being their fourth record, WARKINGS are very much a new band still, having been active less than five years, and they’re learning their craft well; they’ll be certain to gain some fans on their upcoming tour with POWERWOLF and DRAGONFORCE, that’s for sure.
Rating: 7/10
Morgana is set for release on November 11th via Napalm Records.
Like WARKINGS on Facebook.