WEAPON UK "Ghosts of War"

WEAPON UK

“Ghosts of War”

WEAPON UK had their moment in the sun back in 1981 when they opened for MOTORHEAD on a British tour. Then like 95% of all promising NWOBHM bands, they proceeded to quickly blow apart. And then with equal inevitability, they decided to reform 30 years later, adding the UK to their name.
Their 2014 “comeback” album “Rising From The Ashes” did not make much of an impact. “Ghosts of War” fares a bit better, featuring more varied songwriting and an improved production. But I can still see why WEAPON has been stuck in first gear for most of their career. This new album is pleasant nostalgic listening for fans of classic British metal but doesn’t reach the next level like the works of ,say, SATAN have.

The opening title track is the best on show. A lot more melodic and epic than what I’ve heard from WEAPON UK before, with a definite MAIDEN-ish bent in the guitar melodies. Original vocalist Danny Hynes is not going to blow anybody out the door with his rather average singing, but he is also a pretty inoffensive frontman. Second tune “Queen of the Ride” is more of the bluesy swinger that we expect from the band...classic NWOBHM stuff. “Redman” is almost pure hard rock instead of metal, with a bit of a commercial feel.

From there, the album follows the pattern established in the first 3 tracks, with hard driving “Tournique” emerging as the pick of the litter. “All I Need” and “Hell On Earth” are pretty boilerplate bluesy metal, not moving the dial much at all.

A fun trip down memory lane, but not too much more than that. You can say WEAPON UK have stayed true to their style.

PURE STEEL RECORDS

WEAPON UK