Warbringer, Elm Street, Necroriser & Desolator @ Barfly, Camden London



Warbringer

Elm Street

Necroriser

Desolator

@

Barfly, Camden London
Thrash is about fun, beer-fuelled fury so in an ideal world the crowd needs to be as mental as the bands to get the required atmosphere for dizzying, mosh-tastic mayhem. It’s a Tuesday night and despite the Barfly being small as it is, the floor still seems too visible for a band such as Warbringer.

With this in mind, openers Desolator have a challenge on their hands. The Southampton act’s old-school worship is usually met with a lot of movement and plenty of madness, but this doesn’t dampen their spirits – the only thing damp tonight is beer-soaked shirts. Between the three of them they manage to make a racket reminiscent of bands like Sadus and even if they haven’t warmed up the crowd that much, they’ve definitely started their night off with a bang.

Local favourites Necroriser receive a slightly a better acknowledgement with their more brutal take on thrash. The London act – formerly based in South Africa – are yet another trio who let guitar solos rip without the support of a rhythm guitar, and with the crowd already yelling for favourite ‘Suicide’, it’s clear that these guys are going to mean serious business in the future.

Main support act Elm Street seem rather unknown tonight despite their debut ‘Barbed Wire Metal’ receiving some great feedback last year. The Aussie outlet are the underdogs of the neo-thrash movement as of late with a sound equally as good as the likes of Havok or Warbringer, they too show much promise. Vocalist Ben Batres gives a twist of the old-school with Mustaine influence in his tone.

When Warbringer enter the stage, the crowd seem almost scared to stand forward and enjoy the energetic onslaught they’re about to witness. But after a song or two, their speedy seduction begins and the pits erupt. The US four-piece embrace their space more than a lot of thrash bands these days with frontman John Kevill constantly fist-pumping, jumping the length of the stage and getting us riled up. With three albums of material to choose from, the set is consistent with their war-themed favourites, and despite the grave nature of their imagery, a fun atmosphere is present throughout. Opener ‘Living Weapon’ is chanted back and a cover as a set closer may be a bit of an easy way out, but at the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with Motorhead. For a genre of music that’s linked to alcohol consumption, it’s fair to say the hangover on a school night is going to attack tomorrow.

Reviewed by Lily Randall

Warbringer, Elm Street, Necroriser & Desolator @ Barfly, Camden London