For me, Warlord was one of the great anomalies of the ‘80s. Loved the music, even though they never performed live, before disappearing off the face of the Earth. Along with like-minded Crimson Glory and Savatage, they played a classy style that straddled the suddenly dichotomous metal camps of that mid-decade, getting left behind. So here's a re-recorded "greatest hits" compilation, featuring (yet another) new vocalist, Nicholas Leptos, offering his spin on all eras of the band's repertoire. Mainstay/founder/guitarist Bill Tsamis is there, as well as original drummer Mark Zonder (also of Fates Warning). Something of a known stickler, the guitarist undoubtedly relished the idea of bringing the recording and instrumentation up to 21st century standards, but there's always a danger in updating 30+ year old material, people having lived a generation with the originals. 

Tsamis, for better or worse, opted to redo 2/3 of the Deliver Us debut (forgoing just the title track and “Penny For A Poor Man”), with just a so-so singer: an accented -Anglo screamer with thin voice, on record. “Child Of The Damned” is a doubly risk maneuver, as the newer generation knows the (superior) HammerFall version as well. Arranged chronologically, there's also a pair off The Cannons Of Destruction Have Begun (“Mrs. Victoria” and “Lost & Lonely Days”). Only a trio of songs come from the post-‘80s resurrection: two off '02 Rising Out Of The Ashes (where HammerFall singer Joacim Cans handled the lyrics) and now female moaning/chanting enhanced “Night Of The Fury” off the ultra-religious Holy Empire, from 2013. Look at the expanse of the ‘80s contributions, from the slamming opener, the synth laden, mid-tempo “Winter Tears”, ominous, yet operatic “Black Mass”, heavy, “Lucifer's Hammer”, albeit with a sense of melody, the aggressive, almost King Diamond-esque storytelling “Mrs. Victoria” and the cheery “Lost & Lonely Days”. Apart from some tunings that mimic (?) then unavailable guitar-synths, things are played fairly straight, with minor improvements surrounding Zonder's drumming: three decades of experience in progressive music altering his mindset, now willing/able to include subtle embellishments. Great to see these (old) songs get an airing again (or for many, the first time), but sort of a shame to make fans re-buy material. If you're going to go in the studio (or piece it together from files sent through cyberspace), why not give us something new (even one song)?