EVO emerges off the heels of his less than stellar reviewed collaborated mini-album "Damned until Death" with "Warfare," a super charged exploit of his particular punk metal brand of chaos. Notably, EVO serves as the primary recording musician, covering duties on guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and vocals. Several guest artists also make an appearance on the record including Lips from ANVIL and Fast Eddie Clarke formerly of MOTORHEAD fame.

"Warfare" begins with an almost four minute narration about EVO's 25 year return, "Screaming at the Sea."  Unfortunately, this opening track does little to grab the listener's attention and drones on way too long not really covering any ground of enticement. Track two, "Cemetery Dirt," delivers the punch needed to kick start the fire. It's raw, in your face, electric.  This should have been the album's open track hands down. The lead guitar work is like Ace Frehley on steroids. "Misanthropy" follows. Though the guitar and vocals are not as refined as "Cemetery Dirt" and get somewhat lost in the mix, the song does pack a punch. Being that Fast Eddie Clark plays on this track, it would have been nice to hear more of him in the mix.

Several songs further down is "Black." The intro to "Black" doesn't seem to fit the motif of the album, but that may be the point.  The piano feels more like a score to a suspense thriller than something found on a punk metal album. But at 1:51, the song finally fires off. Quickly I am reminded of earlier SAVATAGE. This has old school Metal all over it, just done punk.  The punch of the bass guitar adds grounding and the overtones from the strings slapping gives it a "live feel" sensation.  No point running here, this one is a keeper.

Slightly further down, Track 7, "Burnt Out," delivers a Paul Di'Anno style vocal/guitar chord pairing laced with the drive of the pounding of the bass guitar. I found myself with a heavy chest at the end of the song trying to catch my breath. Unfortunately, the remaining songs on the album, tracks 8, 9, 10, 11, 10 being only 27 seconds long, all give the impression of belonging somewhere else and not on "Warfare."  There is a distinct production quality difference as well as an overall dissimilar attitude and feel to the songs. All four actually seem more commercial than their anti-establishment predecessors. These four could have easily stood as an EP and would have served best in the "less is more" category when choosing the album's track listing. They are solid songs... just not for this album.

Even though I liked a few of the tracks, "Warfare" comes across as being blatantly manufactured with anger and angst... and as we have seen, anything manufactured never lasts. Regardless, the album just doesn't seem to have enough gas to sustain itself accordingly for the long haul.  The get up and go fizzles out long before reaching the end. And though the record's production is loose and deliberately unrefined, lending itself to the contrived rebellion, even the apparent "unrefinement" has inconsistency to it. "Unrefinement," done correctly, can be an enhancement quality that offers a refreshing alternative to the modern, overproduced, digital pollution we hear so often today.  Yet, here, it creates further doubt than "doability" with its usage. This, coupled with the padded track listing, has the album wavering moreso because of its cohesion and less on its blistering rage and antagonism. "Cemetery Dirt" is "Warfare's" crowning jewel. Both the mix and intensity are where EVO shines brightly, even if it is for only for 3 minutes and 12 seconds.