{"id":50581,"date":"2025-09-29T12:29:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/50581\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T12:29:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T12:29:06","slug":"warcoe-upon-tall-thrones-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/50581\/","title":{"rendered":"Warcoe – Upon Tall Thrones Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Certain decades and locations have a unique and instantly recognizable sound, like 90s hip hop, Florida death metal, 70s rock, etc. But such subgenres\u2014at least for metal\u2014are no longer regionally or temporally exclusive. There are American bands that play Swedeath and 2010s bands that play 80s thrash. In this postmodern era, iconic sounds of time and place are constantly worshipped, reimagined, and repurposed by new bands for a contemporary global audience. Warcoe is one such band. When I first heard the vintage doomsters, I thought them from the 70s or 80s, but they formed in Pesaro, Italy in 2021. Impressed with their retro style, I laid claim to their third full-length, Upon Tall Thrones, and spent some time reveling in the sounds of yesteryear.<\/p>\n

From the first notes of opener \u201cOctagon,\u201d it\u2019s clear Warcoe grew up on Black Sabbath and their progeny. Carlo\u2019s bass is warm and velvety, while Stefano\u2019s devious guitar tone compliments his Ozzy-esque vocals well. More than mere worshippers, Warcoe augments their classic sound with stoner rock and metal. \u201cThe Wanderer\u201d and \u201cBrown Witch\u201d summon Monolord with mammothian riffage, while leaner, more energetic tracks like \u201cI\u2019ve Sat upon Tall Thrones (but I\u2019ll Never Learn)\u201d and \u201cSpheres\u201d strike a balance between Windhand, The Sword or Kadaver. Beyond doom and stoner metal, Warcoe also incorporates more classic styles. Stefano\u2019s lead guitar never fails to impress, his hooks and solos recalling your dad\u2019s favorite cuts from CCR or ZZ Top. As a whole, Upon Tall Thrones presents a nostalgic, vintage sound dressed in modern clothes.<\/p>\n

\ufeffUpon Tall Thrones by Warcoe<\/a><\/p>\n

While Upon Tall Thrones initially sounded great in the background, its faults appeared when I began paying closer attention. I love the timbre of Stefano\u2019s voice, and it fits Warcoe\u2019s style, but his delivery is fairly monotone. Stefano\u2019s minimal range holds several good moments back from greatness (\u201cI\u2019ve Sat\u2026,\u201d \u201cDark into Light\u201d). This may be a stylistic choice, but it grows tiresome around the midpoint. The production on Upon Tall Thrones is a much bigger issue. I\u2019m not sure what happened between drummer Francesco sitting down to record and me downloading the files, but the drums skip and stutter quite a bit. It\u2019s mostly confined to the cymbals, and it\u2019s more noticeable on the back half, but I heard at least one instance on every track except drumless acoustic interlude \u201cGather in the Woods.\u201d That track has its own problems, though, as static popping accompanies every. single. note. It\u2019s maddening, I can\u2019t unhear it, and it ruins an otherwise great acoustic break.<\/p>\n

\"\"Faults aside, I still hear ambition and potential on Upon Tall Thrones. But for the tail end of \u201cDeepest Grave,\u201d there\u2019s no bloat here. Warcoe is dynamic. Rarely does a riff overstay its welcome or a song miss its best endpoint. Even with two instrumental tracks smack dab in the middle of the album (\u201cGather in the Woods\u201d and \u201cFlame in Your Hand\u201d), the energy doesn\u2019t falter, and my attention doesn\u2019t wander. Warcoe even manages a little successful experimentation. Blackened tremolos hover above the proceedings on \u201cDark into Light,\u201d and the 16-bit, Wraith Knighted solo of \u201cFlame in Your Hand\u201d sends me hurtling down memory lane to play Final Fantasy IV. It\u2019s Warcoe\u2019s willingness to explore beyond their influences that makes me think they\u2019re chasing something special here.<\/p>\n

I try not to quote promo material, but in the case of Warcoe\u2019s Upon Tall Thrones, \u201cgroovy doom from the abyss\u201d and \u201cvintage darkness with sharp and heavy riffs\u201d work pretty well. Unfortunately, what excels in a casual environment falls short under closer scrutiny. My criticisms of Upon Tall Thrones aren\u2019t apocalyptic, but they are consistent and pervasive, bringing the entire album down. This resulted in a lower score than I wanted, but I have hope for the future. Warcoe shows promise. If Stefano can expand his range and the band can both secure cleaner production and hone their unique sound, whatever succeeds Upon Tall Thrones has the potential for excellence.<\/p>\n

Rating: 2.5\/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: FLAC
Label: Ripple Music<\/a> | Morbid And Miserable Records<\/a>
Websites: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n