When I heard that Warrel Dane was going to release a solo album, I was damn sure that this talented singer would amaze us for one more time. The songs were written, the line up was awesome and the two cover songs sounded amazing! So, what was left for the whole story to be perfect? The release of Praises To The War Machine! This album has haunted my speakers for some time now and it will definitely take long until I am ready to take it out of my CD player.

The talented frontman who has written his own history in the Metal scene with his participation in bands like SERPENT'S KNIGHT, SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE. After searching for the appropriate musicians to surround his musical dream, Dane found the perfect people in the faces of Matt Wicklund (ex-HIMSA), Peter Wichers (ex-SOILWORK) and Dirk Verbeuren (SOILWORK). After having such a talented and heavy as fuck line up, the ex blond frontman (since he has painted his hair black) immediately started the recording sessions for his first ever solo album that is going to be released through Century Media Records.

If most you believe that this is a NEVERMORE related - musically - album, then you are wrong my fellows. Warrel Dane produced a dark, heavy gem that is way more nihilistic - compared to NEVERMORE - that as Dane said was created with a focus on memorable songs than on songs where everyone showcases his skills. Praises To The War Machine is a straightforward album full of great guitar work that features both melodic leads and catchy riffing, as well as a singer (aka Dane) that proves for one more time that he is one of the best performers the Metal scene has produced in the last years. His voice is full of lyricism and passion, while his aggressive moments are still here to remind us that he is one of the guys that hold the Metal flag really high, despite the whole experimentation thing he's into.

Songs like When We Pray and Obey are perfectly showing the heavy side of Warrel Dane, while melancholic hymns like Your Chosen Misery and Brother along with the great SISTERS OF MERCY cover show the side of Dane that has been deeply influenced by the Goth scene. Praises To The War Machine is an album that can be characterized as a war between antithetic emotions like love and hate or joy and pain. The only negative thing - for me at least - in this album is Dane's choice to feature two cover songs. They are both great, and he has worked on a Paul Simon cover in the past (The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel), but I believe that two covers are not a good choice for a full-length album. That's just my opinion.

The album has really been a good companion to me the last days in good and relaxing, as well as rough hours. I believe that this guy will always manage to amaze the Metal audience and I just don't want to believe that there is even one metalhead that refuses to acknowledge this man's history and offer to the Metal scene, as well as his offer now. NEVERMORE is definitely one of the acts that changed something in the last decade's Metal scene and we definitely owe many things to this charismatic frontman. I just enjoy Praises To The War Machine sucking out the best I can get from it. This album serves its purpose well my friends...