Album Review: Warkings - Revenge

I'm going to ask you for a little patience right now, because I'm not sure how much I'm actually going to talk about the music on this record. I had an issue with the first Warkings album, and the reality of the current moment have made that even more unbearable. Philosophically, this record is entirely questionable, and rather difficult for me to accept.

War is the worst human invention. The mass-scale death, violence, and horror that war has created is not something we should celebrate. War is the truest form of evil we have perpetrated. That isn't to say wars have not been necessary at times, nor that the costs could not be morally justifiable, but let's not deny reality. War is an evil, and being good at war is not praise-worthy. Having proficiency at killing your fellow human beings is not a talent. It might be a fact, but there is no positive connotation to it.

Warkings is a project that writes songs dedicated to war and the heroes war has created, both real and mythological. I'm sorry, but as we are living in a moment where people are finally rising up and demanding an end to the violence and discrimination that 'warrior culture' has created in our society, it feels completely tone-deaf to be lionizing that very attitude. When you hold up the worst of us as something to celebrate, it's a rather revealing statement of your own beliefs. Not a flattering one, either.

So I find myself asking what I'm supposed to think about this album. Can any level of songwriting overcome the glorification of violence contained therein? I don't know the answer to that, and it's not something I want to spend a lot of time thinking about. I found the first album rather bland, but this one is quite obviously bouncier, catchier, and far more fun. From a purely surface level view, this is a pretty darn good power metal record. But we aren't here just to look at what's on the surface.

When I reviewed Serenity's album early in the year, I mentioned how no matter how good the record was (and it is, truly), I find it hard to make much of an attachment to songs written about knights and battles. That same feeling applies to this album, but is amplified by the more explicit focus on war. Even if I wasn't put off by this subject matter at this moment in time, what emotional connection am I supposed to make with songs written about warriors and mythological gods? Music stands with us because it becomes the soundtrack to moments in our lives, and this music will never be able to do that.

The other issue I have with this album is the band using the gimmick of anonymity, branding themselves as 'The Tribune', 'The Crusader', 'The Spartan', and 'The Viking'. The voice powering these songs is so unique and identifiable that trying to put on the air of mystery is worthless. When Ghost started out, few people knew who Tobias Forge was, so he was able to get away with the schtick for a little while. I'm not super plugged-in to the power metal scene anymore, but it's damn obvious to me who he is.

So that's a lot of words to say this; "Revenge" is an album that succeeds on one front, but fails miserably on another. It's fun to listen to, but horrifying to think about. It makes a good first impression, but leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. If the band had decided to write about nearly anything else, I would be giving this a hearty thumbs-up. However, since they have chosen the route of cheerleading stories of violence, I'm not going to recommend the album. You can follow your own conscience, but mine is telling me to put this one aside.