Warbringer Unveil New Album Wrath and Ruin and Release Killer First Single “A Better World”
Yesterday we hyped up the impending release of a new Warbringer track, “A Better World.” I was stoked, plenty of you folks were stoked in the comments, and now I can happily report that our excitement wasn’t ill-placed. No sir, the bad motherfuckers in this thrash metal weapon of war dropped yet another killer track and it was all in service of announcing their next record, Wrath and Ruin.
Set to release on March 14, the album will feature eight new tracks that according to the band could serve as a call to arms for people to finally wake the fuck up and rise up against the ruling class. Kick starting that whole sentiment this time around is the newly released single “A Better World”, which frontman John Kevill says stemmed from a realization that the youthful excitement for the future he once had has been supplanted by the reality that shit’s only been getting worse in recent years.
“When I was younger, I used to think the world would only get better during my life. I know now that isn’t the case. We aren’t going to fix the environment even though we know the consequences, because profits would decrease, so it’s not considered possible. On top of that, our societies keep getting more unequal, with a few people owning most everything, and most people just trying to keep their heads above water. We still won’t feed everyone, but we will fund development of weaponized autonomous drones. Etc etc.
“I was reading some social theory stuff (Mark Fisher) some years ago and feeling depressed about my own future in these conditions. I went to a therapist and they basically told me it was all real and legitimate, and that all they could do was give me drugs so I could pretend that I didn’t know all this. I don’t really have time to worry too much, because a bunch of bills are always due. I also stopped dreaming for a year or two, which I found scary. I tried to bottle this feeling into ‘A Better World’ – I don’t think I’m the only one.
“The video was made by Juan Rodriguez, who we worked with on ‘Crushed Beneath the Tracks’, and shows Warbringer going hard – what we do best. The song has a melodic death-tinged riff penned by Adam Carroll, with arrangements by thrash maestro Carlos Cruz. To me, it gives the feeling of being stuck on some accelerated loop that won’t slow down. Hope you guys enjoy the first taste of Wrath And Ruin, there’s a lot more to come!”
As expected, the single kicks ass and honestly, it’s propelled Wrath and Ruin to one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. Here’s hoping we in the U.S. will get to see ’em live later this year, as they’re already slated to tour Europe this spring with Decapitated, Cryptopsy, and Carnation. You can find those tour dates below.
Wrath And Ruin tracklisting:
CD1
1 The Sword And The Cross
2 A Better World
3 Neuromancer
4 The Jackhammer
5 Through A Glass, Darkly
6 Strike From The Sky
7 Cage Of Air
8 The Last of My Kind
CD 2
1 Firepower Kills (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
2 The Black Hand Reaches Out (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
3 Crushed Beneath the Tracks (Live in Nantes, France – April 20th, 2023)
4 Living Weapon (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
5 Woe to the Vanquished (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
6 Living in a Whirlwind (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
7 Guitar Solo/ Outer Reaches (Live in Nantes, France – April 20th, 2023)
8 Shellfire (Live in Munich, Germany – April 5th, 2023
9 Descending Blade (Live in Krakow, Poland – April 4th, 2023)
10 Hunter-Seeker (Live in Krakow, Poland – April 4th, 2023)
11 Defiance of Fate (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
12 Silhouettes (Live in Nantes, France – April 20th, 2023)
13 Remain Violent (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
14 Combat Shock (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
15 Total War (Live in Budapest, Hungary – April 7th, 2023)
Wrath And Ruin will be available in the following formats:
2CD Digisleeve
1-LP Gatefold Black Vinyl
1-LP Gatefold Marbled Vinyl w/ 12inch Booklet + Slipmat (Napalm Records mail order only – limited to 300)
CD + Shirt Bundle (Napalm Records mail order only)
Digital Album
WARBRINGER Tour Dates
Supporting Decapitated w/Cryptopsy & Carnation
03.05.25 UK – London / Incineration Fest
04.05.25 UK – Exeter / Phoenix
05.05.25 UK – Cardiff / The Globe
06.05.25 UK – Newcastle / Anarchy Brewery
07.05.25 UK – Glasgow / Slay
08.05.25 UK – Manchester / Academy 2
09.05.25 UK – Birmingham / XOYO
10.05.25 UK – Nottingham / Rescue Rooms
11.05.25 UK – Norwich / The Waterfront
13.05.25 FR – Lille / The Black Lab
14.05.25 NL – Enschede / Metropool
15.05.25 DE – Munich / Backstage
16.05.25 CH – Aarau / KiFF
17.05.25 DE – Lindau / Vaudeville
18.05.25 AT – Vienna / Szene
19.05.25 HU – Budapest / Dürer Kert
20.05.25 CZ – Prague / Fuchs2
21.05.25 DE – Schweinfurt / Stattbahnhof
22.05.25 DE – Dresden / Blauer Salon
23.05.25 PL – Kraków / Hype Park
24.05.25 PL – Warsaw / Proxima
26.05.25 DE – Berlin / Hole44
27.05.25 DK – Aarhus / Voxhall
28.05.25 DE – Hamburg / Logo
29.05.25 DE – Vechta / Gulfhaus
30.05.25 DE – Dortmund / Junkyard
31.05.25 BE – Sint-Niklaas / Casino
01.06.25 FR – Paris / La Machine
03.06.25 DE – Frankfurt / Das Bett
04.06.25 DE – Karlsruhe / Substage
05.06.25 IT – Milan / Legend Club
06.06.25 IT – Bologna / Locomotiv
07.06.25 FR – Lyon / Lions Metal Fest
