Thank god for reissues. After far too long in mothballs, the people at New Renaissance have gotten off their duffs and started putting back out on CD all the great vinyl they put out in the mid-80s. At War is one of the many great bands they had on their rosters that just didn't get the notice or praise they deserved at the time. Often touted as "America's answer to Motorhead", I think that comparison is more to both bands' ability to just get out there and bash the songs out. At War is more correctly a thrash band - quite technical actually, in their rhythmic constructions and the riff structure. Often I'll hear riffs that some thrash bands later went on to build their careers around.

In any case, Retaliatory Strike, their second album, is quite good. It carries on the band image they started on the first album (the whole military/mercenary image) with more of the same. The music itself is really fast and deceptively technical - lots of gallops and odd stops and syncopated rhythms. Paul Arnold's vocals are a nice gruff/hoarse shout, a precursor to the heavier thrash vocals of the later-80s thrash bands. The whole band is tight, but they still manage to sound out-of-control in the way the whole approach of the band is on the verge of going over the top (probably the source of the Motorhead comparisons). Hot spots are the opener "Conscientious Objector" (preceded by a nice little mood-setting piece - you'll have to hear to understand), "Creed of the Sniper", "Church and State", and "Gutless Sympathizer".

Overall, the band wasn't all that ground-breaking, but what they did they did VERY well. The original issues of this album on CD were VERY rare, but now that NR is back out of mothballs they have just reissued this album in 'limited' numbers (about 3300, if they followed suit), so its new availability makes it worth hunting for if you like old-school technical thrash or just want something to listen to while hanging out in the bush hunting Charlie...

© 1999 lord vic