Photo by Eric Younkin Jr.
Texas metal titans WARBEAST will release their long-waited new full-length, Enter The Arena, this August via Philip H. Anselmo’s own Housecore Records. Captured at Anselmo’s Nodferatu’s Lair, mixed by Mike Thompson at the Riff Factory and mastered by Lee Russell, Enter The Arena features newest WARBEAST recruits, guitarist Drew Shoup and bassist Lyric Ferchaud, and stands among band’s most potent, volatile, and unrepentantly powerful offering yet.
“We recorded Enter The Arena exactly a decade after we formed WARBEAST,” notes vocalist Bruce Corbitt. “The nucleus and founding members of this band [guitarist Scott Shelby, drummer Joey Gonzalez, and Corbitt] provided the essential veteran leadership that was vital for us to reach our goal of creating our magnum opus. The three of us also contributed our unique individual styles to guarantee that we still sound like WARBEAST. But with the addition of our two newest members – guitarist Drew Shoup and bassist Lyric Ferchaud – who I call the ‘Youngbloods,’ it was like adding a breath-of-fresh-air to our chemistry. We definitely sound like a well-oiled-machine on this album. So get prepared for the upcoming onslaught of pure, fresh and quintessential Texas thrash!”
“Enter The Arena is WARBEAST at its finest in performance, writing and tone quality,” adds Shelby. “I’m confident that it will please any rivethead out there! I believe it’s mine and our best work to date.”
Enter The Arena will see release on August 4th. Preorder bundles are currently available. Nab a CD bundle at THIS LOCATION or vinyl bundle at THIS LOCATION.
The release of WARBEAST‘s Enter The Arena follows Corbitt’s recent and tragic announcement that he’s been diagnosed with esophageal cancer — a treatable though rarely curable disease – facing the likelihood that he will never be able to sing again.
In a recent Facebook message to fans, Corbitt revealed, “After much discussion with the doctors and specialist, they’ve told me there’s no chance within any reasonable time that I’ll ever be able to perform again. So it breaks my heart at this time that I’m forced to announce my retirement from singing. I’m sorry to all of my bandmates for letting them down. I’m devastated with all of this hitting me so fast. I’m still in shock. Thanks for all of the great support all these years,” he continues. “You’re the best fans and I love all of you! We at least have a great WARBEAST album and music video coming soon. I can’t even begin to explain my feelings. You guys have given me the strength I need to even prepare for this fight. Honestly, I was close to losing hope that there was any good to come out of this. Of course, I’m scared for my life like any normal human being would be. Those moments when I can get on Facebook and scroll through all of your messages, the emotion takes over. I cry, I get stronger, I also realize what all of you mean to me. I do believe in the power prayer and positive vibes. And I have all of you to thank for that.”
Corbitt, who recently began an intensive schedule of radiation treatments, played his final show on Saturday May 27th at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas. View the farewell footage below.
Additionally, the band’s previously-scheduled CD release party will be taking place on Friday, July 14th at The Rail Club in Ft. Worth, Texas. Vocals will be handled by Anselmo, Edwin Neal (Texas Chain Saw Massacre), and Wayne Abney of Hammer Witch.
A special fund to help with the Corbitt family’s escalating medical expenses has been set up. To donate visit THIS LOCATION.
Enter The Arena Track Listing:
- Centuries Of Poisoned Soil
- Punishment For Gluttony
- Orchestration Of Violence
- Maze Of The Minotaur
- Hitchhiker
- Chemicals Consuming
- Enter The Arena
- The Scalping
- Conjuration With The Devil
- Ancient Hate
WARBEAST:
7/14/2017 The Rain Club – Ft. Worth, TX * CD Release Party [info]
With the “retro-thrash” trend in full-swing, and hordes of bands trying to re-create “old school metal,” Texas monsters WARBEAST offer the real thing. Their music is not the result of careful study of ’80s thrash or classic metal; it just comes naturally because that is who they are.
The roots of WARBEAST are firmly entrenched in the legendary ’80s Texas underground metal scene. Vocalist Bruce Corbitt was the voice of speed metal splatter kings Rigor Mortis, who achieved major label success on Capitol Records in 1988. Guitarist Scott Shelby was part of the riff machine behind Gammacide, one of Texas’ most furious thrash exports. Drum tornado Joey Gonzalez now also provides blasts and mayhem for Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals and Superjoint.
The band’s Krush The Enemy debut was released in 2010 on Housecore Records. It featured ten tracks covering a wide range of metal terrain aimed squarely at the neck-snapping headbanger in the front row. For WARBEAST, “metal” signifies high speed riffing, thunderous double bass, roaring vocals, and plenty of blazing guitar solos. By the spring of 2012, WARBEAST hunkered down to record Destroy with legendary Pantera and Down frontman and label founder Philip H. Anselmo behind the board at his own Nodferatu’s Lair. The result was an uncompromising and unbridled thrash assault. Living up to its moniker, the collection saw the Texas outfit sharpen their claws and bare their teeth even more than before. “I want people to feel like they’ve been hit with a sledgehammer ten times in a row when they hear this,” said Corbitt of the release. “As long as they feel strongly about, we’ve accomplished our mission.” Five years later, it’s time to unleash the sonic battery of Enter The Arena.
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