Warcoe - "Upon Tall Thrones"
I've said it before and I'll say it again: no one does doom like Italy.
The flourishing underground doom scene in this picturesque Mediterranean country is composed of bands that very often incorporate a specific blend of occult, acidic, and traditional heavy metal tones into their sound, ultimately painting the genre with a fittingly vintage, hazy hue atop its sinister shadows.
Warcoe is a perfect example of such a band, a talented trio from Pesaro that got their start in 2021. Building upon a strong base of proto doom, the group puts their own unique spin on the classic sound by infusing their music with a variety of heavy styles. There isn't a bad album (or song, for that matter) to be found in Warcoe's discography, which includes a self-titled EP (2021), The Giant's Dream (2022), A Place for Demons (2023), and, most recently, Upon Tall Thrones, released on September 26, 2025 via Ripple Music.
Warcoe - Upon Tall Thrones
It's immediately apparent that Upon Tall Thrones has a punchier quality than previous Warcoe albums as it bursts through the gate with first track (and lead single) Octagon. While the verses here are very much classic Warcoe, the choruses pack an electrifying heavy metal energy, an infectious bite that you'll inevitably be headbanging along to...and replaying countless times.
The official lyric video for "Octagon"
This epic heavy metal attitude reigns supreme on the following track The Wanderer. In fact, it has a certain theme song quality to it, a rallying cry as the chorus confidently repeats, "The road to victory will be mine!" The Wanderer introduces a journey toward a momentous undertaking...one that is approached with sanguine swagger.
From here, the mood changes rather sharply from the confident strut of the first two songs to a noticeably regretful tone on third track I've Sat Upon Tall Thrones (But I'll Never Learn). While heavy metal vigor skirmishes with despondence, that bravado is ultimately vanquished by doom in this song, both in style and spirit.
The official music video for "I've Sat Upon Tall Thrones (But I'll Never Learn"
Whether intentional or not, the conceptual quality to Upon Tall Thrones is apparent to the listener as the middle of the album draws near. Tracks four and five are instrumental interludes with markedly different moods that signal a drastic turn of events. The first, Gather in the Woods, is a relatively brief, soothing, acoustic reprieve during which I can vividly picture our heroes from the previous songs taking respite around a hastily built fire, perhaps murmuring in hushed tones and planning their next move. Placating as the warm guitar notes may be, there's also a hum of trepidation in the air that serves as a reminder to remain vigilant. The following song, Flame in Your Hand, is the antithesis of Gather in the Woods. Here, a spiraling doomy riff repeats in bewildered, despairing cycles. It's reminiscent of the body's ability to go into auto pilot even when chaos surrounds, an innate adaptation that allows one to shut down fear while remaining laser focused on the task at hand. The rest of the world swirls around, reduced to little more than a blur. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the addition of some synth tones in the middle of this song, adding another layer of eeriness and angst while alluding to an unearthly shift.
Sixth track Spheres provides another layer to both the story at hand and to Warcoe's sound as it runs with the proto metal nuances the band is known for while adding in some trippy psychedelia and a bit of heavy rock. By infusing these mind-bending but undeniably groovy sounds into Spheres, Warcoe brings the energy of the album way back up.
Upon Tall Thrones wraps up with some fittingly occult-heavy songs, Deepest Grave and Brown Witch. The tale culminates with Dark Into Light, the album's celebratory but supernatural conclusion, infused with a hint of funk and heavy rock swagger.
Final Thoughts
Warcoe's earliest work won our black little hearts with its perfect balance of doom and heavy metal. Their sophomore full-length album A Place for Demons went on to pique our interest by waxing more acidic, leaning into tripper occult and psychedelic tones. On Upon Tall Thrones, Warcoe continues to draw upon these vintage sounds, playing them louder and with more energy than ever. The band also uses their proto metal influence as a tool to break up some of the more dismal or serious auras brought about by the weightiness of doom and incorporates some well-developed instrumental interludes. This adds an impressive and very noticeable amount of dimension to Warcoe's sound and naturally sharpens their storytelling ability. The scenes the band builds are more vivid than ever, and a captivating saga bursts through the album with striking clarity. Perhaps most importantly for the heavy music fan, it's safe to say that these developments make Upon Tall Thrones Warcoe's most heavy-hitting and most epic album yet, a release on which both sound and substance are bigger and bolder than ever before.
Whether you've been a fan of Warcoe since the beginning or this is your first time hearing the band, Upon Tall Thrones is sure to impress.
More About Warcoe
Warcoe Is:
Stefano - Guitars, Vocals (and sometimes bass)
Carlo - Bass
Francesco - Drums
You can follow Warcoe and listen to their music at the following links:
Physical Copies
You can snag physical copies of Upon Tall Thrones from Ripple Music (vinyl and CD) and Morbid and Miserable Records (cassette)
Thank You!
A massive thank you to Purple Sage PR for the promo!
Check out Screaming from the Heavy Underground on YouTube!
Warcoe - Upon Tall Thrones Review: Video Version
Comments
Post a Comment