STAGEWAR hailing from the Frankfurt area, Germany were formed in 2003. They are a Thrash Metal band. After releasing four demos, eventually their debut album appeared in 2011 and in the meantime "Danger To Ourselves" is their third full-length album. It was mixed and mastered by Aljoscha Sieg (ESKIMO CALLBOY) at Pitchback Studio. The album has a length of more than 38 minutes, and it was released via German label Black Sunset, a subdivision of MDD Records, which have a number of Thrash, Death, and Power Metal bands among their roster.

It looks like that STAGEWAR have established a five-year cycle to release full-length albums. After 2011 and 2016, "Danger To Ourselves" was released just on time. The sound of STAGEWAR is a very direct approach to Thrash Metal with some occasional Punk and also Rock'n Roll vibes. The album starts with an old school Thrash Metal acoustic intro, transitioning into a highly paced track with very direct and simple, but effective guitar riffing, straight-forward drum play, a contributing lead guitar solo during the mid-tempo break, and hoarse vocals which are intensified by the backing vocals during the chorus section. Yes, the opening "Danger To Ourselves" is very promising, although or because it is not a classical Thrash Metal song. The directness includes almost some Hardcore vibes to which the vocals fit perfectly. "Box Of Dirt" is a groovy mid-tempo track, but probably not one of the album highlights and with almost six minutes playing time by far too long.

"Follow Me" and "R.U.N." are two fast tracks with classical Thrash Metal riffing. Highlight on "Follow Me" is the extended and comprehensive lead guitar solo, and altogether with the rhythms and melodies, the track is pretty much Bay Area inspired. "R.U.N." is on the other hand short, dirty, and straight-forward with Punk inspired vocals. The track was released as video and the YouTube link is given below. "Enough Is Not Enough" starts with a brass intro that transitions into thrash riffs with a few EXODUS vibes. The track varies between mid-tempo during the verse sections and high speed during the chorus sections. Highlight again is the playful lead guitar solo during the mid-tempo break. Altogether, "Enough Is Not Enough" is one of the best songs on the album.

"Hands Of Time" starts with an extended instrumental guitar dominated part. The track is mainly played at mid-tempo, but with a few tempo switches throughout. The riffing during the verse section is straight to the point and includes catchy melodies, the chorus section is a bit more complex with added lead guitar sequences to it. The track starts fading halfway through the six minutes playing time, a lot of ideas were added on, but I missed here the overarching concept for the song. "Nothing for Nothing" is another of the groovier songs and it includes cool and catchy guitar riffs at head-banging mid-tempo, sing-along choruses, and another very good lead guitar solo. The album closes with "Over And Out" and it is safe to say that STAGEWAR close the album not with a banger.

"Danger To Ourselves" is a mixed bag of a Thrash Metal album. There are a few really good songs on the album, but there are also a few songs where all the pieces and ideas do not fit well together. A lot of good players do not necessarily make a good team. The vocals do not always fit well to the songs. I believe the songwriting could be improved. Highlight for me were the lead guitar solos which were second to none in almost all songs. The album is well produced. STAGEWAR show occasionally their potential as a Thrash Metal band and Thrash Metal fans should give their new album a listen.