Battlemaster

The most notable heavy metal names synonymous with the state of Virginia nowadays are certainly in the vein of Lamb of God or Darkest Hour. But what about a band that sounds so blatantly Scandinavian that the keenest of ears would dub them as Norsemen in a nanosecond? Richmond, VA’s Battlemaster have more than likely delivered such false impressions in their brief history. One spin of Warthirsting & Winterbound will certainly cement this belief. The sound radiates back and forth from epic Immortal-sounding guitar marches to colder and bleaker Amon Amarth-styled chugging. This is all topped off by the mixing of standard death metal growls with an almost asexual-sounding screeching. Warthirsting & Winterbound is, without a doubt, a sampling of some of the best bits of European metal. The compositions fit together quite nicely and offer up some interesting and unique listens for fans of most genres of metal (check out "By Beard and Throne”). This will leave the listener wondering how something that sounds so very foreign can come from the least likely of scenes.