{"id":16473,"date":"2021-09-03T05:00:42","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T05:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=16473"},"modified":"2021-09-05T21:28:02","modified_gmt":"2021-09-05T21:28:02","slug":"warfare-songbook-of-filth-hne-recordings-cherry-red-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rpmonline.co.uk\/?p=16473","title":{"rendered":"Warfare \u2013 \u2018Songbook of Filth\u2019 (HNE Recordings\/Cherry Red Records)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Aah Warfare! The band that for the briefest of moments back in the mid-80s was out-thrashing even the mighty Venom, and doing it all with zero fucks given. They are to this very day the only band I\u2019ve ever seen play a proper guerrilla gig, their legendary protest performance outside Metallica\u2019s debut headline show at Hammersmith Odeon back in 1985 still ranks as one of the most \u201cwhat the fuck\u201d moments of total chaos I\u2019ve ever had the \u201cpleasure?\u201d of experiencing in all of my 40 odd years of gig going.<\/p>\n

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Formed by drummer\/singer Evo after he\u2019d left Angelic Upstarts, his fine musical pedigree also included stints with Oi! stalwarts Major Accident and legendary shock rockers The Blood. Warfare might very well be considered the bastard sons of all those bands, albeit with a hint of metal shot through their sound due to the guitar histrionics of Gunner and thunderous bass rumble of Falken.<\/p>\n

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Warfare\u2019s rather appropriately titled debut album, \u2018Pure Filth\u2019, was produced by one Algy Ward, and for me it’s still stands as one of the best albums Neat Records ever released, being right up there with \u2018Black Metal\u2019 in the noisy bastard stakes.<\/p>\n

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Subsequent Neat albums were produced by the likes of Lemmy (1985\u2019s \u2018Metal Anarchy\u2019) and Cronos (1986\u2019s \u2018Mayhem Fuckin’ Mayhem\u2019) but they never really topped the out and out musical carnage of their debut album and 1988\u2019s \u2018A Conflict Of Hatred\u2019 aside by the time the ill-fated \u2018Hammer Horror\u2019 album finally crept out via FM Revolver in 1990 Warfare had somehow become a shadow of their former selves, sonically at least, with Evo retiring from the music business in 1992.<\/p>\n

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Returning some 20 odd years later for a trio of \u201cdemos\u201d releases via German label High Roller Records. Albums that saw Evo reliving the magic of the band\u2019s early days. The renewed interest in his band sparked Evo into re-joining the musical world once again, with him vowing to record the angriest Warfare record yet whilst drafting in the likes of Fast Eddie Clarke and Pete Way to help him make this dream come true. \u2018Songbook of Filth\u2019 then is the chance for us all to finally hear this material, something I couldn\u2019t wait to get on the CD player.<\/p>\n

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Playing out in a non-chronological order, the 31 tracks spread out across three CDs (there\u2019s also a twelve-track \u201chighlights\u201d vinyl LP available) and featuring some cracking demos, radio sessions, rare rehearsals\/outtakes and live recordings, the set it meticulously curated by Evo via extensive track by track sleeve notes.<\/p>\n