War Master

War Master
Studio album by Bolt Thrower
Released February 1991
Recorded Slaughterhouse Studios, September 1990
Genre Death metal
Length 46:03
Language English
Label Combat/Earache
Producer Colin Richardson
Bolt Thrower chronology

Cenotaph
(1989)
War Master
(1991)
The Peel Sessions 1988-90
(1991)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]

War Master is a Bolt Thrower album, recorded at Slaughterhouse studios in September 1990, produced by Bolt Thrower and Colin Richardson. It was released on Earache Records: Mosh 29 in 1991.

Whereas Realm of Chaos was dominated by grindcore based blasts and riffs, this album abandons most of the grindcore influences for a sound that is more strictly death metal. Moreover, there is more melody in the music and the guitar solos, although some chaotic solos remain. This is also the final Bolt Thrower album to feature the blast beat style of drumming (which can be heard on three songs - "What Dwells Within", "War Master", and "Afterlife"), before it was abandoned and subsequently never used thereafter in the Bolt Thrower discography.

"Cenotaph" is a thematic continuation of the song "World Eater" from the previous record. It shares the opening and ending riffs and it has some lyrical similarities as well.

The album was extensively sampled on Dutch breakcore producer Bong-Ra's album Full Metal Racket, with allusions also including song titles such as "Bloody Cenotaph" and "Jo Bench".[2]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Intro... Unleashed (Upon Mankind)"   6:13
2. "What Dwells Within"   4:18
3. "The Shreds of Sanity"   3:26
4. "Profane Creation"   5:32
5. "Destructive Infinity" (CD bonus track) 4:14
6. "Final Revelation"   3:55
7. "Cenotaph"   4:03
8. "War Master"   4:17
9. "Rebirth of Humanity"   4:01
10. "Afterlife"   5:59
Total length:
46:03

Personnel

Bolt Thrower
Production

References