Customer Reviews

The Battle Has Started

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Just when we were giving up hope that there were still any decent 80's metal bands still alive, Warrior comes out with "The Battle Has Started"! With the opening to the song "Cry As One", Warrior proceeds to put the smack down on listeners with killer songs, great guitar leads, melodic vocals, and a very tight bass/drum section. If that weren't enough, lyrically these guys present the Gospel of Christ in a very bold way that even Stryper could learn from.

While I do think that the face-paint on the cover is cheesy, there is NO cheese whatsoever to be found on "The Battle Has Started". Get this CD today before Warrior comes to your house and breaks your legs with that Ibanez!

i didn't know what to expect with this band. i only heard about them through a forum that i belong to. But man the image looked good and what i seen on the website was enough to make me get this. I was not disappointed. This is an absolute killer of a disc. Plenty of hook laden songs and a few slower songs to keep all metal heads happy. Plenty of chunky riffing and thunderous drumming and bass pounding metal. The single "I WANT A WALMART GIRL" is bound to get this band the recognition they deserve and cataplut these guys into the big time. Although the production might have been a bit clearer this cd will have you singing along after only a few listens. My favourite song at the minute is The battle has started where Warrior claim that the battle has started and it's time to chose before you win or lose. I am glad i choose Warrior because they have put the light in my dark world and they have made me realise that God's love is real!! all i can add is that Warrior are "RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW" and they want us to get "THE BETTER HIGH" because "THE BATTLE HAS STARTED"
GREAT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!!!!

This CD is great! All the songs have great verses, choruses, hooks that go just right with the lyrics. Strong and compelling, I was impressed with this pop metal, rock n roll style that seems to have progressed to this time of age if 80's rock was allowed to progress to this time. That's how well this CD is! It is dated for now if not twenty years from now. Like Boston, Dokken, Led Zepplin, some things never die... and these guys belong with them! To hear the Gospel advanced in such a way as to make sense to anyone, WARRIOR has succeeded. I'm sure any age would appeciate this CD. Thank you guys for a little breath of fresh air. Look for to the next one.

Released in September 2004, Warrior's "The Battle Has Started" is proof that heavy metal is still alive and kickin'!

Full of catchy hooks, crunchy guitars, and lots of attitude, "The Battle Has Started" is an album long overdue in a music scene flooded by talentless "nu-metal" and "rapcore" bands.

From the heavy, mid-tempo "Cry As One" to the upbeat, foot stomping "The Better High," these guys bring the big spectacle back to heavy metal.

Vocalist/Guitarist Tad Donley brings passionate vocals, layered harmonies, and intricate leads to an overall stellar performance by bassist Mike Goodnight and drummer Keith Coleson. Each band member is flashy yet tasteful, which is a breath of fresh air in this 3chord-no-solos-stare at my shoes and whine music scene.

But the best part about Warrior is the attitude. Flash, fireworks, and the big spectacle abound. My only regret is that they haven't played in my state yet!

Any fan of Christian or secular metal will love this disc - buy it!

First off, I bought this, sight unseen, thinking it was from the 80s band Warrior who did Fighting for the Earth. It is not.

Secondly, I got it from another online house (one without pictures of the cover, which would have let me know that it wasn't the same band - maybe...)

Lastly, I don't usually write reviews, but there seems to be quite the war going on here. One or two guys write a bad review, they are immediately followed up by one or two 5 star reviews who all seem to know the band personally. So, on that I will say that I suspect the 1 star reviews are from people with some sort of axe to grind and that the 5 star retorts are coming from guys that are either in the band or are affiliated with them.

That said, my review:

First off, I am not a lyrics guy. religious, satanic, uplifting, or bleak lyrics aren't going to make much difference to me. I have bought a few CDs with lyrics so silly that they ruined the song. The Billy Idol sung track on Tony Iommi's solo album comes to mind with a chorus so bad I can't bring myself to retype it here. This CD isn't one of those. The lyrics are fine. They don't approach the poetry of Agalloch or Tribe or After Tribe, but they aren't as bad as the aforementioned Idol song or Fatal if Swallowed by Overkill. Just getting that out of the way.

This is 80s music, which is a good thing since some of the best metal (most?) came from that decade and I applaud this band for paying homage to their forefathers. There are some interesting musical ideas presented here too.

So where does it go wrong?
Well, first is the track Walmart Girl that gets a lot of mention here on this page. The song really seems like another band. It is kind of funny, but is not representative of the band in general. It is kind of like only knowing Anthrax from the I am the Man single.
The rest of the CD is in the 80s pop metal realm (that isn't a dig by any means) and a few of the tunes really start to draw the listener in after Walmart Girl. Then, "The Better High" hits and really ruins things. The son is written like an army or boyscout march. Really.
Say a line and repeat. Say another and repeat it, all with military pattern. Think Stripes or other films with the "Sound off. One Two Three" march section and make up your own anti drug lyrics and you'll have this tune. The disc low point.
That could be fine, but it goes on through every verse.
The center of the song is a really cool, 70s rock inspired lick and solo that remind me of old Bad Company or BTO. Shame to find it sandwhiched in here.
Many of the other songs will present a good chorus or verse but repeat it a lot. Those of you who listened to the first (and obscure) Great White CD will be familiar with I am talking about.

Tad Donley has a pretty good, clean voice. He reminds me of someone, but try as hard as might, I haven't pulled the name out of my head yet.

Ultimately, the song writing is still a bit more cliched than I would like and I don't see the CD getting many more spins from me. I will probably come back here when the next CD comes out and check out the samples to see if the song writing moves up to match the musicianship. Maybe outside writing help (also not a dig - I play in a band and, despite being an accomplished guitarist, I find song writing extremely difficult without someone else to provide the occasional initial melodic ideas).

I would have liked to give this band 2.5 stars, as the CD has some real shining moments, but Amazon only allows whole numbers and I have given much better CDs 3s (without writing reviews).

Good luck to these guys. I hope the next CD adds some more varied writing within each track.

I heard I want a Wallmart Girl and picked this CD up.
I wish I hadn't. After just a few listens I grew tired of the blandness. You can get my copy it the used bin if you hurry.

The album is just lacking something that makes me want to play it a second time.

I can recommend trying White Cross or Messiah Prophet is you like this style of music and want Faith based lyrics.
I am also partial to Barren Cross, Saint (Judas Priest styled band), and even the first few Bride Cds.

If you aren't as worried about the message, Dokken and a few other 80s bands will do.

Hoping they grow with the followup as there is potential here (good musicianship and a talented vocalist) but the songs are just really lacking.

I know the guys in WARRIOR, and they do not see either Rob Johnson from NY and Verdelak for NY on any purchase lists for Amazon. These guys never bought WARRIOR's CD!!! Amazon! Take these two guys OFF THE REVIEW LIST. WARRIOR testifies and you should have your own records to verify these two fakes never bought WARRIOR's CD!! Their comments are lies based on nothing. They never heard the music.

I love 80s metal, but this was just too cheesey for my tastes.
There is some decent guitar work in there, but it just comes across as too silly. Again, its a shame as there is some talent in this band.
The cover is about the funniest thing I have seen in years too.

Also, Don Dokken - how lame and unChristian is it to call someone names because you disagree with review?
Shame on you.
He didn't like the band. Get over it.

This album is hilarious.
What...?
Oh, it isn't a comedy CD?
Never you mind then.

This is cheesy. Cheesy bad.
Like bad Warrant songs about god with poorly written, over the top lyrics.
You can love the christian god all you want, but poorly written songs praising him get zero credit from me.


(edit:) Wow, I didn't like the CD. Sorry. Why the personal attack from someone calling themself Don Dokken?
Satanist? Me? Hardly.
Verdelak (the name I use from reviews) comes from an old Boris Karloff film that happened to give the band Black Sabbath their name.
Sorry that I happen to like old horror films. Did not know that made me a satanist.
I have given this a few more listens over the last couple of years and still think the song writing is lacking. I still think the band has good musicianship and a solid vocalist.
I would be interested in seeing if they wrote better material for a followup.
I still maintain that their lyrics need work (Christian or not, they are not well put together) but, more importantly, their song structuring skills need some work.

Better luck next time. This is cheese.