When The Rockpit spoke to WARBIRDS front man Anth Nekich last year, he assured us that 2019 would be a monumental year for the band, with an album release being the highest of their priorities. Approximately one week ago ‘Order from Chaos’ landed in our email inbox and for those rock fans who loved 2018’s ‘Control’ EP, you are going to be blown away with this collection of fourteen tracks from Nekich & drummer Lee Strapp. As with ‘Control’, each track is very different, which you might think could distract from WARBIRDS gaining a ‘certain sound’ but this is something of a highlight of this album – diversity & variety at its very best.
The album kicks off with ‘Slave’, a punchy opener with driving guitar riffs & catchy chorus, as Nekich sets the high standards of the album from right from the off. ‘Handgrenade’ continues the infectious riffs & melodies and is the first of many favourites on this release, with its multitude of timing changes throughout the track – a stadium anthem if ever I have heard one. The first single to be taken from ‘Order from Chaos’ is the much slower ‘Freak in the Night’, which feels much more of a ‘Control’ track, if there is such thing but once again it’s the chorus that grabs you with its powerful catchiness. ‘Bring Back Your Love’ opens with an almost Pearl Jam bassline, reminiscent of ‘Jeremy’ before developing into another foot stomping rippa of a rock track, entwined with Strapp’s relentless drum work & wonderful guitar soloing from Nekich.
We are then greeted with my favourite of the album, the title track ‘Order From Chaos’ which I can only really describe as an outstanding epic! Anth admitted to me during our last interview that he is not a naturally gifted singer and has had to work hard at it over the years but the opening vocals on this track are outstanding. The song builds to an incredible crescendo of sound the leave you exhausted just listening to it – a WARBIRDS classic for years to come.
It’s at this point you could well be expected to feel that the album may have burnt itself out only five songs in, such is the blistering start that has been unleashed on your ears but it just continues to build. ‘Contain the Rage’ is another memorable rocker and this is followed by another highlight of the album, ‘Lost’ with its Angus Young ‘For Those About To Rock’ riff throughout, before blossoming into another powerful track which again toys with tempo & styles.
It’s great to see the band have stayed connected with last year’s wonderful ‘Control’ EP, as one of my favourite singles of the year ‘My Symphony’ takes its place on the release and finds itself nicely settled amongst the new tracks. ‘Collider’ opens with an almost middle-eastern feel before firmly finding its rock feet. ‘The Suffering’ is a slower bouncing thumper which I can see becoming a firm live favourite. Still we are only ten tracks down with four to go as the wonderful ‘The Sleeper’ begins our drive down the home straight. I didn’t “get” ‘Drowning For Hope” when I first heard it. For me, it’s the most diverse of the songs on this collection but after a few listens I’ve come to realise it’s another track that shows the versatility that Nekich & Strap have achieved throughout the album and is another winner. ‘Control’ is the second of the EP tracks to make it on this collection and rightly so, such was its quality on the 2018 release. We close with the up-tempo ‘Reality Check’, which sees the band, pull out all the stops with this rippa of a rocker.
‘Order From Chaos’ needs to be heard and is a good as any rock album I’ve heard this year including internationally. As with ‘Control’ once again WARBIRDS have defied logic by producing such a powerfully sounding bunch of songs and this is made even more incredible with the fact at the time of writing & recording the band were merely a duo, with Nekich laying down the bass guitar on all tracks. They will undoubtedly have put themselves under serious pressure for all future releases, such is the quality of this album and that is meant as the highest of compliments as they seem to be a band that enjoys challenges & adversity.
‘Order From Chaos’ is a must in anyone’s rock collection – a sensational release!
