WARCRY are a Blackened Metal band from Germany with a heavy emphasis on the old-school sound that is so popular amongst underground Black Metal bands. Previously active as HEILIGS BLECHLE the rebranded WARCRY formed in 2006 and have since released three full-length albums. The latest album, "Possessed By Evil," lives up to the uncompromising and raw tone that the band is dedicated to.

The album opens with the title track "Possessed by Evil", which takes a frantic pace laden with a heavy tone; the guitar solo in the second half of the song is particularly good and stands out above the mix. "So it Shall be Done" begins with a more Doom approach than the first track before swinging violently into a much faster Black Metal style. The song also introduces more folk elements with a more melodic structure and powerful clean vocals. "Command to Attack" explodes into the fray as huge clean vocals and fast guitar rhythms take centre stage with the drums driving the pace. The vocals sound incredibly powerful and reach such pitches that they'd be hard to forget.

"For my Own Destiny" is the longest track on the album and takes a fairly mellow path, opting for drawn out powerchords, folk inspired arpeggios and deep chanting vocals for most of the song; highly reminiscent of older Pagan Power Metal. Some Black Metal passages intervene to improve the pacing however the song remains a predominantly Power Metal piece. "Oldschool Supreme" brings back the Punk speed and attitude from which Black Metal is derived, with lyrical content pressing on Heavy Metal puritism, with a style well fitting of such a subject. "Into the Shadows of the Past" is perhaps the most interesting example of songwriting on the album. With a frenetic galloping pace there are many changes within the song in terms of sound and style, but it maintains a constant pace that's impossible not to headbanging to.

"Slaughterwitch" is a very melodic song, with plenty of hooks and sing-a-long moments to both the guitars and vocals. Whilst the track is more indicative of the Melodic Metal of the NWOBHM era, the guttural vocals and simple paced drum rhythms keep the Black Metal vibe alive, making for a memorable mix. "Savage Realm of Darkness" begins with blast beats at a pace that is continued throughout the song, followed by dark guitar riffs and screaming vocals. The next track, "I Rule the Ruins", picks up the same NWOBHM style as "Slaughterwitch" and stands out from the rest of the album as the first song with a female singer as a guest vocalist - who gives perhaps the best vocal performance yet. The vocals are a definite highlight, yet the chorus can seem a little repetitive at times.

"Storming the Gates" is an energetic, fast paced song with hard hitting rhythms and a 'War Metal' style that makes it memorable and fun. Finally, "Black Fire" finishes off the album with a dark and fast rhythm, a nice mix of clean chorus vocals and screams and an interesting blend of Shanty-like themes and melodies with the band's Black Metal style.

"Possessed by Evil" truly lives up to the uncompromising nature of underground black metal, yet I can't help but feel that the resultant lack of production value and originality can really bring the album down at points. The mix is not always balanced, the bass instruments can be lost and muddy amongst the guitars and the recordings sound poor for many elements of the music. It is easy to understand that this was the aesthetic choice for the music and in a way does indeed compliment the band's style and image. For fans of the more 'raw' styles of underground music, this album is an excellent blend and showcase of musicianship.