WARRIOR SOUL's debut "Last Decade Dead Century" struck me really hard when it was released at the dawn of the MTV generation (at least it was a beginning of an era in my dark corner of the world, by us cable TV was new at the end of the 80's) and I couldn't for the world understand why so few around me agreed here. That was the album of the year, doubtless. OK, it wasn't the glammy non-sensible Hair-Rock type of music that was the thing at the moment. And sure, Kory Clarke had a very special voice and it took me years and years to realize that his tone could be, if not disturbing at least a little annoying when it comes to other styles than full attitude Rock'N'Roll. For WARRIOR SOUL though he is perfect and that album was, and still is a masterpiece.

WARRIOR SOUL anno 2010 is a different band but there are similarities to past times. Of course, it would just be stupid to repeat the past and it would also feel kind of pathetic if the expression had been as angry and rebellious nowadays. Slamming society works when you're around twenty. Uttering things the same way, around 40, would not work as well. Still there's a thread that connects WARRIOR SOUL's debut to the new "Destroy The War Machine", "Motor City" reflects back to "Down Town" which both are about leaving Detroit. And there still is a lot of criticism towards society in the lyrics, both in a small way ("The Pigs") about getting treated different because of being what you are (parallels to "The Losers", maybe), to more worldly issues as corruption and manipulation ("The Fourth Reich"). And then perhaps some autobiographical issues in songs like "Don't Believe" and "Burning Bridges".

The band has gone through a lot of changes over the years and it would be wrong to say WARRIOR SOUL sounds the way today as they did in the beginning. Musically it's pretty obvious that John Ricco isn't a part of the band anymore (which he hasn't been for a very long time), his delicate melodies are missing. Instead we have a straight forward Rock'N'Roll album, still with a lot of strong chorus lines and there are traces of the grinding, hypnotic and repetitive riffing from the first few albums but this version of the band is absolutely filthier, a lot more mean and more straightforward. Style wise the music is closest to "Salutations From The Ghetto Nation" to make a comparison to the past. The downside is that "Destroy The War Machine" is 36 minutes loaded with full speed Rock'N'Roll. There are eight very good songs on the album but the variation could have been bigger between the songs. It would have been nice with a little break in the middle of all fat Rock, one softer song which would allow Kory to do some softer vocals which he has done so well in the past.Songs like "Hero", "Jump For Joy" and especially "The Losers" go straight to the heart and stay there. No such songs on "Destroy The War Machine" though. And then, just over half an hour (which also includes one cover, Iggy Pop's "Knocking 'Em Down In The City") of music feels a little cheap for a full length so let's hope they keep what they promised in a radio interview connected to the Hard Rock Hell Festival, that they will release an album each year instead.

"Destroy The War Machine" is absolutely a good album, old fans will absolutely accept it the least and I think WARRIOR SOUL will gain a bunch of new fans with it also, because this is a straight forward Rock album with a lot of attitude and some really good songs.