Warhammer | Total Maniac | Ván Records

 

Warhammer was founded in 1994 in Germany, formed by musicians dedicated to preserving the primitive force of early 80s extreme metal. Most known for their stylistic alignment with Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost, they carried the torch of morbid mid-tempo riffing, cavernous vocals, and archaic aggression. With releases such as “The Winter Of Our Discontent” and “Curse Of The Absolute Eclipse”, Warhammer gained cult status among purists. Following a split in 2009 and the tragic passing of founding drummer and vocalist Volker “Iron Lung” Frerichs in 2020, the band ceased all activity. “Total Maniac” is their posthumous swansong, finalizing a vision that remained loyal until the very end.

"Total Maniac" is not an album made for today's world—it is a voice torn from the coffin wood of the past. Warhammer, once infamous for their near-devotional worship of Hellhammer, close their final chapter with a release that honors the dead, particularly founding member Volker “Iron Lung” Frerichs, whose spectral presence haunts every moment.

There is no gloss, no false veneer. The production is deliberately unrefined—raw, bleak, and oppressive in tone. The riff structures, rhythmic foundation, and vocal delivery rely on decay and repetition, channeling a lineage closer to the grave than to evolution. The sound has indeed moved past pure mimicry of their 90s roots into something darker, more deformed, and inwardly decaying.

"Angel Of Destruction" and "Seven Witches Of Malevolence" push the aggression with short bursts of fury, while longer tracks like "Rise Of A New Apocalypse" and "Dying Is Easy" crawl with doom-drenched atmospheres and crawling dread. The title track, "Total Maniac", is one of the more dynamic, maintaining momentum while injecting eerie guitar breaks and subtle structure shifts.

Punk influences remain an undercurrent—not in aesthetics, but in intent. There's no care for trends or refinement, just bitter finality. The album’s history—written across a decade and finished mere weeks before Volker's death—echoes in the tone. You can feel the weight of time pressing down on these songs.

This is not about progression nor reinvention. This is Warhammer, one last time, walking the charred earth they always claimed as their own.

Score: 7/10