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    Fortunately for all parties involved, this is most definitely not the case with the much-anticipated full-length debut from the San Diego, California-based trio Warface.

    On the brilliant Insanity Of The Obsessed (2006), an expertly assembled nine song collection of carefully calculated (and thus deftly executed) Death Metal, each track, beginning with the thunderously punnishing Judgment Defiles, and the blindingly chaotic Fatal Inequity, immediately goes for the throat, engulfing both the feeble and able-bodied alike amid a crushing primordial tidal wave of fist-pumping, mosh-inducing insanity. Pounding their unsuspecting would-be oppressors (i.e. you, the increasingly faithful reader) into an early, almost hypnotic submission via a series of intricate arrangements and maddeningly infectious--albeit occasionally unconventional--harmonies, the groups onslaught is exceeded only by its devastatingly brutal after affects. The ringing in your ears? Dont worry. It will eventually go awayI think.

    Continuing with the impressively dynamic Full Term Refuse, and the thought-provoking Suppression Of Heresy, the bloodthirsty combination of vocalist/bassist Dave Smith, guitarist/co-producer Laura Christine and drummer Scott Ellis (the group was recently joined by former Vile skinsman Tyson Jupin, replacing the college-bound Ellis) effectively solidify their near lethal modus operandi with an airtight barrage of scalding vocals, Guitar God-worthy fretwork and speed-of-light rhythms that proves the grassroots momentum initiated by the 2001 release of the groups self-titled debut EP was certainly no fluke. The resulting carnage, although somewhat obvious in its respectful homage to the groups more than considerable roots, is fortified throughout with enough sheer force and originality to satisfy even the most of negative of pundits.

    Easily the most imaginative and musically ambitious Death Metal release of the year, other standouts, including the relentlessly pummeling Climactic Annihilation, and the equally impressive closer Induction, steamroll forward with an almost sickening ease that is almost guaranteed to leave even the most seasoned (i.e. completely desensitized) of listeners salivating uncontrollably as they gasp for breath. Am I simply once again overstating my feelings and opinions? Absolutely not. Not surprisingly, the talents of acclaimed engineer Alan Sanderson (Rolling Stones, Slayer and System Of A Down, to name only a few), a man whose resume quite literally speaks for itself, only adds to the groups already undeniably propulsive overall sound, ultimately resulting in a full-throttle sonic assault that must truly be heard to be believed.

    Believe me, I know what youre thinking. What separates Warface from virtually every other lesser-known yet highly talented Death Metal act out there? Hooks. Miles and miles of ridiculously barbed and jagged hooks delivered with a precision so many groups of such ilk strive for yet so few truly attain. Just when you think the group is about to relinquish its ice cold death-grip and leave you to molder in a shallow unmarked grave, they pull you back just below the surface for even more cruel and unusual punishment. If every group in the genre were this capable and genuinely dedicated to perfecting their craft, the charts and airwaves as we know them wouldnt be hopelessly clogged with insipid Pop drivel. Trust me, my friends, if this one dont leave you battered, bruised and bloodied, then nothing--and I mean nothing--ever will.

BLASTING-ZONE.COM  AUG 2006

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Someone in the Death Metal world heard my prayers, at long last. Over the last few weeks, I've been reviewing several releases for this site and yet, only a few of them have even come close to my beloved Death Metal genre. It's for this reason that I'm thankful for California's Warface. To say I've been beaten to a bloody pulp by this band's latest release, "Insanity of The Obsessed" would be a massive understatement in every sense of the word. Warface possesses every element that draws me to this particular brand of Brutal Death Metal in the first place, including the gurgling vocals, absurd drum work and relentlessly crunchy guitar sound.

Vocalist/Bassist Dave Smith does something very rare with this brand of guttural vocals...he makes them groove. The vocals don't just run along with the music in a continuous gurgle. They start and stop as if he were actually singing them, rather than a stream of endless spewing! This adds to the unique feeling of the album, which also features guitarist Laura Christine and drummer Scott Ellis. Laura is quite possibly one of the sickest Death Metal guitarists I've ever heard. Her guitar tone is sick as hell and her solos are well-executed to fit this kind of music perfectly. Picture a mixture of Devourment's "Molesting The Decapitated" tone and Brodequin's "Instruments of Torture" tone. It's THAT sick.

Ellis also proves to be a formidable drummer on this release as well. His blasting and double-bass are flawless, but he also knows how to keep everything varied and interesting. Other Death Metal drummers really need to take note. The songs in themselves are everything you'd expect from this genre. Sickness, brutality, violence, and chaos...really, isn't that what life is all about? I thought so. Excellent work by Warface on crafting a work of utter carnage, yet also maintaining stellar musicianship and pit-inducing songs.

 

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E-METAL REVIEWS WARFACE NEW ALBUM INSANITY OF THE OBSESSED

 

Yay! Death metal! There is so much blandness and mediocrity in today's death metal scene, it's not even funny. Good thing there are bands like WARFACE out there to give you a kick in the head. Ultra low vocals and major axe shredding are the order of the day for Warface. There's plenty of speed and brutality to be found here, but this is also a band unafraid to slow things down, in a badass Morbid Angel/Immmolation kind of way. Excellent death metal that won't disapoint serious fans of the genre. This is some great stuff that grabs you by the balls and doesn't let go. :) -NP

 

E-METAL REVIEWS AUG 2006

 

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METALWARRANT.COM REVIEWS WARFACE'S NEW ALBUM INSANITY OF THE OBSESSED -- AVAILABLE IN STORES & ONLINE NOW -- GET YOURS!

 

As far as death metal goes, this is top notch. Really stunning in its macabre, guttural, ten-ton sledgehammer quality. A three piece formed in Southern California, Warface founders Dave Smith (vocals/bass), and Laura Christine (guitars), are previously from the band Damnation, disbanded in 1996. Warface recently added Tyson Jupin (VILE) as their new drummer, replacing former drummer Scott Ellis who plays on this album. 'Insanity of the Obsessed' is their first full length release as Warface, having previously released a four song debut EP. The guitars are all played to an exceptional level of musicianship - driving, bone-shattering riffs keep you on the edge throughout the album. KXK Guitars have commemorated the talent of Warface, or Laura Christine in particular, by producing a signature KXK Warface V guitar series. To describe the vocals on this CD, well, how do you define death metal? It's when you can't tell the difference if the singer is really singing or regurgitating. Dave Smith does this well. Some songs off the album include: Fatal Inequity, Full Term Refuse, and Climatic Annihilation. You can listen to samples of these songs and the title track 'Insanity of the Obsessed' at their official website:  http://www.warface.net/    http://www.deathquakerecords.com/

 

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METALCOVEN.COM REVIEWS WARFACE'S NEW ALBUM INSANITY OF THE OBSESSED -- AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE NOW --  GET YOURS!

 

Warface was fully formed in San Diego in 2001, emerging from the extreme underground scene that was burgeoning there. They consist of Dave Smith on vocals and bass, Laura Christine on guitars and Scott Ellis drumming (although, according the band's official website, Tyson Jupin is now the new skins man). Both Smith and Christine are from the San Diego-based Damnation, and new drummer Tyson is best remembered for his work with Vile on such releases as Depopulate (2002) and The New Age of Chaos from 2005.

When I first popped on the CD I was greeted with a crisp production and extreme death metal sound that appeared tight and polished to a damn nice shine. I am not a fan of Cannibal Corpse/early Beherit-type vocals by any means, but, that aside, I was able to listen to it and enjoy the music. However, if you're a fan of either of the aforementioned groups' vocal styling then this will suit you nicely.

The opener is Judgment Defiled", and it has a real sharp feel to it if you're looking for solid death metal. The production on the drums and bass is great, not overriding the guitars by any means and everything seems to flow well. Again, solid death metal that sounds like a polished Deicide to these ears (though that's totally subjective). "Fatal Inequity" has some real solid moments of brutality intertwined with good riffing and some damn more-than-competent drumming, while "Full Term Refuse" reminds me of a Cannibal Corpse song right off the bat. I like Laura Christine's guitar work a lot she's got a real kick-to-the-face approach! The title track, "Insanity of the Obsessed", "Suppression of Heresy", "Fragmented Salvation", "Climatic Annihilation", "Out of Death", and "Induction" round out the rest of the CD with a west coast delivery that is unrelenting and underappreciated. While not a fan of these type of vocals, it didn't really detract from my listening pleasure at all. This surprised me and I'm glad because it's the mark of a good band with a good future in our extreme underground scene.

I say you'll like this if you're into the extreme underground metal scene; it's a CD of total brutality and memorable hooks that won't gather dust in your collection.

 

8/10

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NIGHTRITUAL.COM REVIEWS WARFACE'S NEW ALBUM INSANITY OF THE OBSESSED -- AVAILABLE IN STORES AND ONLINE NOW --  GET YOURS!

 

  I really love this album.  It's full of frenzy fast riffs that are in the vein of great death metal bands like DEEDS OF FLESH, with many slow and crushingly heavy breaks, something I have always loved about SUFFOCATION.  The vocals are guttural and brutal, the drumming precise, and the guitar has a nice, heavy sound.  It's a little hard to believe WARFACE is only a three piece band.
In general, WARFACE's lyrics express the betrayal, anger, and desperation of living in the times we live in.  Overall I was impressed with "Insanity of the Obsessed".  It has everything I want in a death metal album - brutality, great drumming, technical riffs that make you want to mosh in your house - the works.
Guitarist Laura Christine writes some great riffs and executes some impressive solos.  This CD is well recorded and should appeal to fans of SUFFOCATION, CANNIBAL CORPSE, IMMOLATION, DEEDS OF FLESH, DISAVOWED, and so on.

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METAL-TEMPLE.COM REVIEWS NEW WARFACE RELEASE -- INSANITY OF THE OBSESSED

 

At last! A decent Death Metal release, which avoids the "F*ck Christ, we rule!" theme! I have been sick and tired of all those "evil" bands out there! This band is really mature and knows when and how much "evil" someone has to be to have a decent and professional image. Despite my first opinion on this band, I listened to the CD carefully and realized that I was wrong...
 
Warface’s line up was completed in 2001, when drummer Scot Ellis was recruited. Later on, in 2006, he would be replaced by Tyson Jupin (Vile). The drums on this album have been played by former drummer Scott Ellis. Dave and Laura used to play together in Death Metal band Damnation, while Scott Ellis is featured as one of the world’s most extreme drummers alongside Mike Smith (Suffocation), George Kollias (Nile), Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy) and more! After signing with Deathquake Records, Warface released their debut album, "Insanity Of The Obsessed".
 
So, deeply influenced by bands like Deicide, Morbid Angel and Dying Fetus, Warface have unleashed an extreme, brutal Death Metal assault! Growling vocals that many well-known Death Metal singers would be jealous of, great Death Metal production, heavy sound and great guitar melodies. Don’t get confused when I say "melodies", we are talking about a really brutal band here! The tracks are fast enough, but sometimes they get fatally slow (Incantation style). I was really impressed to hear such a great work on the guitars by a woman! No, I am not racist towards women, but I think that it’s not the most common thing to see a woman "shredding" with her guitar in a Death Metal band! I really bow before her! Anyway, their work is professional enough. The promo I got is much more professional than many CD’s I have got from well-known bands. This is surely something very positive for me.
 
A solid Death Metal release, which comes from a band that’s totally unknown to me! Every deathster should obtain this CD immediately! Great work that just can’t be put aside like any other mediocre release. Death to false metal!

 

 

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REVIEWS OF WARFACE 2001 EP SD MUSIC MATTERS The philosophy of Warface is simple: play it like you mean it. The band’s four song EP is straight up death metal intensity with a bevy of grooves and flailing guitar solos. Hailing from a realm of darkness, Warface encapsulates a specter of shadow and fate which looms ominously throughout their throaty, bludgeoning insanity. To merely express the heaviness of Warface is not enough, for it’s their talent that will solidify Warface’s place in the underground metal scene. The band’s most prominent influence, both lyrically and musically, is Cannibal Corpse. However, Warface’s autonomy overshadows any petty comparison. There is little doubt that the ferociously technical guitar talent of Laura Christine is the skeleton of the band’s sound, amassing the framework of malignance from which Warface’s songs begin to shred. Dave Smith’s deep, dismal and throaty groans are beastly and dark but never lethargic. The band escapes the trappings of placid doom metal riffs and the over exaggeration of “see how fast we can play” guitar riffs commonly heard on various speed metal band tracks. Musical, talented, and heavy as hell, Warface is a Southern Californian death metal anomaly and the undisputed masters of extreme and brutal musical anguish. Las Vegas, Nevada’s DARKSOUL7.COM By Dark Soul Enter Warface from southern California with their self titled demo, all in all I must say I was impressed by many things on this album, they show their true roots ranging from MORBID ANGEL, CANNIBAL CORPSE, etc. The recording quality and production level for an underground unsigned act is very impressive. Guitar's are very vibrant, Drums are clear even to every cymbal tap...This is a very enjoyable album all the way through...This band displays awesome talent and experience... This is a very impressive display of what the band is capable of doing and I await future releases.   The ITALIAN METAL WEBZINE, SHAPELESS ZINE’s Review  by Randolph Carter ...Looking at the great and professional packaging of this demo and reading the declaration of intents in the bio, I understood how Warface really are a serious and determined group. And so it is! Warface breaks your bones and kicks your fucking asses! Laura has a bow (excuse me for the horrible metaphor!!) full of killer riffs, elaborated and complicated, while Dave’s voice is the perfect union between Chris Barnes and Frank Mullen; Scott’s drumming is so powerful, technical and precise that he can really compete with the most famous drummers of death metal without any problems. The songs are unfortunately only 4, and I can imagine from the logo (it reminds me of a Deranged one) these will probably sound very brutal! In fact, these 4 tracks are a valid example of what it will mean when Cannibal Corpse, the latest Morbid Angel, Suffocation, Incubus and Obituary meets themselves! "Grovel" is a personal combination of all those styles, and is a perfect opener...GodDamn, this song kicks you in the head without mercy! From the first moment the CD gets started, you realize why Warface are a serious combo...they have a terrible punch, a perfect sound! You quickly will understand that these guys really know their job, the sound they get is exactly what the genre demands: strong, powerful but clean too, and not fall off in chaotic cacophony (personally, it makes me remember Sepultura’s "Arise"). But surprises are nearer than you think; "Truth of suffering" is full of precise tempo-changing, really well done because these variations enrich the song; in fact, this track reminds me of Suffocation’s style. "Mask of Battle" is the most Cannibal Corpse-like of the demo, especially for the riffs and for the drum tempos; a great song but the one that strike me less. Finally, the 4th and last track show us a powerful Scott Ellis behind his drums; especially for the thunderous double bass-drums and for the odd tempos that follow the guitar riffs and that show how Scott has a great technique and musical intelligence. So, a superlative result! Warface will be not out of place among Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel (Metal Bladeeee? Earacheeee? Are you alive? Please, listen to this CD!!!). Warface are fucking ready for the recording of a complete album; they have technique, powerful harmony, inventiveness and knowledge of death metal to sell...and finally, they’re really cool! My congratulations and my best wishes! I will impatiently wait for your first album! DEADTIDE.com:  Review by Jason Muxlow Warface is a bombastic three-piece outfit that spit out neanderthalic death metal that scores high on impact and sticks in your head. Throughout this four song disc, the vocals stay as low as possible without going guttural and the riffs stay in the upper- to mid-range tempos. Things can get somewhat complicated at times, but more often than not, Warface simply bludgeon the listener with heavy-boned fists and rely on their superior songwriting skills to pull them through any technical lapses. Just check out Truth of Suffering to hear them at their best when they hit the wide-open, trem-picked riff in the chorus. Nice stuff. MUXLOW STANDOUT TRACKS: Truth of Suffering Cracow, Poland’s METAL SIDE Review by Damian Before I heard this EP-CD, I had read few reviews of this material. All of them were positive. I have to agree with these reviewers who underlined the talent of WARFACE. The trio from California plays really heavy music, based mostly on powerful vocals (reminding of Chris Barnes’ voice) and massive riffs. In mentioned reviews their music was compared to Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation. For me - although I can’t deny that some influences of these bands are audible - more obvious comparison is Six Feet Under. Not only because of vocals, but because of the tempos and rhythms which dominate on this material. Few faster parts are rather the addition to slower motives. Of course, it is not death/doom metal release but simply well-composed death metal in mid-tempos. This is the first release of the band so we can expect better recordings in the future. Taking into consideration the fact that their debut material is good, the future seems to be very promising for WARFACE. Metal Judgement:  Review of Warface EP (Under Demo Reviews) Musashi's Review: I was really excited to hand out another bad review, when I reached into the bag to pull out this week's demo... Surprisingly, this four-song CD is good and is worth checking out... that is, if you are a deathmetal fan. Warface is straightforward. The music is heavy, brutal and fast. I paid special attention to the guitar player because she is a woman- yes, I am prejudiced against female guitar players, so I wanted to hear if she can deliver the goods. She can; Laura Christine definitely has the chops. Her playing is both rough and graceful. She coaxes heavy riffs, squealing harmonics and fast solos out of her guitar seemingly without effort. A pleasure to listen to. The drumming of Scott Ellis is the fast and furious galloping that defines deathmetal. He plays fast and in time. Finally! The interplay between Scott and Lauren is excellent, like one big metal machine. For me that is 99% of the battle: drums and guitar synched up and playing fast, heavy riffs. Is that too much to ask for? Deathmetal vocals tend to rub me the wrong way. Regardless, Dave Smith does double duty on both bass and vocals and completes this heavy trio. The vocals and lyrics are nothing special but they are not bad. Sometimes not losing is just as good as a win. Warface... are a really good deathmetal band. Their website is surprisingly good and not as low-budget looking as I had originally thought. Okay, it's a good website and CD-- fine, I said it. Warface is heavy, fast and exciting enough to keep the heads of deathmetal enthusiasts banging hard... Warface stick to the formula and bang out good metal. Score: 4 Out of 5 Skulls (February 2002) San Diego Extreme Metal:  Review of Warface EP I’ve had the CD for awhile now and it constantly makes its way to my CD player. The only objection I have with it is that there are only four tracks. Much to short. So, what do they sound like? Death metal. Technical, but not the point where its indistinguishable and hard to remember; some nice grooves in there as well. Influential bands that come to mind: older Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, and (a less technical embodiment of) Suffocation. The mix is decent and no instruments are disproportioned. Very reminiscent of “classic” death and grind - so it pleasing to the ear while being completely unforgiving. The first track, “Grovel”, is very catchy and three that follow are more vindictive. This trinity is making some brutal music and will make a name for Warface outside of San Diego in the near future. -Jared (10 Jan 2001)   METAL NIGHTMARE MAGAZINE - Review by Tom Wren First of all, thanks to WARFACE for doing two things on this demo CD. First, it's a real pressed CD! Not some fucking cheap-ass CDR. That shows they're in this far more seriously than any bedroom black metal wankers. Second, their logo is one of the more illegible ones that I've seen in years. That takes me back to the good old glory days of death metal, even if the music does not. There was a time that if you couldn't read the logo, the album probably ruled. Only trick was finding them of course! Too many stores and distros had no idea what those albums were, so they had them mis-named or mis-filed. Now then, on to the music. For some reason, I have never caught WARFACE live here in San Diego, even though they've been around for a while. So this is my first exposure to them. CANNIBAL CORPSE is a pretty big influence, both musically and vocally. Not the only influence, but probably the biggest one. No lame backing vocals here, everything is handled by bassist Dave Smith. Good deal, 'cause that whole one person does the highs, the other does the lows thing is getting really old. And it wasn't that great of an idea to begin with. Dave sticks to the low end, and that's fine, because high vocals just wouldn't work. The songs are all varied, with both slow and fast parts in them. They blast when they need to, and lay the hell off of it when they don't. Most of the Unique Leader catalog should pay attention to that. Jason Schultes' Review of Warface EP Grovel, the first track, I really like how it starts off. The drums and guitar are doing this hellacious grove \m/! Dave Smith’s vocals are just fucking brutal. Laura Christine’s guitar is just crunchier then hell! I have been trying to get that tone myself but NOOO…. Sorry for that lol, Scott Ellis’s drumming is just dead on as well on this track, I really love how the song ends, The guitar part has to be my favorite on the whole CD, I learned how to do it by ear lol, That’s how much I love the ending lol. Onto the next track, Truth Of Suffering. This track brings the good old days of Chris Barnes Era Cannibal Corpse. The riffage is just monstrous and the drumming is just beat your eardrums to pulp good. Dave really shines on this track! His vocals just make me want to jump up and break shit lol. This song has another kick ass ending as well; I always head bang to the end of it. \m/! Mask Of Battle is next. This is another prime track. This song has another hellacious grove pushing it into deathy bliss. Scott pounds the living hell out of his kit in this song. I love the drums over all on this track. Head banging just happens on this track, I don’t even notice I am doing it half the time. I really like how Dave’s voice stays consistent on all the songs, He always have that killer ass death growl going on. The Hunted, This track by far has the best guitar parts in it, Laura shows she knows her shit on this track. She just amazes me with her guitar playing, I love how she puts grooves into all the songs, and a lot of death today is lacking that. Scott really lets go on this track too. His playing is just killer. He is always dead on. Plus his cymbals always cut through so clear; I really look for that in a good production. Dave’s voice comes through the cleanest and clearest to me on this track. I cannot wait for a full Warface CD to be released. Once it is you can bet you will see a review for it up here. Click on the pic to go to the site.