REVIEW: Warkings - Armageddon

Warkings, the force of nature hailing from Europe, is taking over this summer with their new album Armageddon. Consisting of masked members The Tribune, The Crusader, The Viking, The Spartan and Morgana le Fay, the band has quickly gained popularity since they formed in 2018, and has played alongside legends such as Powerwolf, Hammerfall and Subway To Sally.

Armageddon, the latest project of the five-piece band, is a look into some of the history’s most prominent warriors, who fought for their beliefs and lives, and stood at the very brink of their end. They've curated a very extensive track-list of fourteen songs, with some of them such as 'Morgana’s Incantation' and 'Call To Arms' acting as introductions to the upcoming songs, giving the listeners a moment to breathe, before continuing with the action.

Focusing on different timelines of history, Warkings’ reach spans from Vikings and Genghis Khan to the Medieval times and witches and everything between, and offers their listeners an extensive insight into different storylines. Title track 'Armageddon' comes as the first full-length song of the piece, and is a dynamic track featuring energetic riffs and powerful vocals. Those vocals would be nothing without the sharp lyrics that portray the atmosphere of battle perfectly. The second song 'Circle of Witches' is a chaotic and intense track, nailing down the feelings of beings who knew something is about to happen. Neither song skimps on The Crusader’s guitars and The Spartan’s drums, using the sounds to their own advantage and creating soundscapes, that are able to teleport the listener in that specific timeline. The use of vocals in both songs is also worth mentioning, as the song 'Armageddon' primarily uses clear vocals, whilst 'Circle of Witches' adds a few screams in as well, creating a fitting atmosphere for the topic of the song.

Another song worth mentioning is 'Nightfall', a piece that starts a little differently than the rest of the songs on the album. The track’s features resemble some of Sabaton’s iconic riffs and melodies, yet Warkings remade them into something much more personal and powerful, using the guitar simulate the feelings of heroism and accomplishments. The song on its own bears a unique composition not heard anywhere else on the album that is hard to match, especially with Morgana le Fay’s iconic voice, and it feels odd it was not released as a single.

At the end of the project, the listeners are surprised by the song 'Stahl auf Stahl', which features Subway to Sally in one of three features on the album, with the other ones being 'Genghis Khan' featuring Orden Ogan and 'Hangmen’s Night' featuring Dominum. 'Stahl auf Stahl' stands out from the other features though, primarily because the song features both German and English lyrics, making for an interesting blend of the two. Translating directly as 'Steel on Steel', the song is about the historical heroes who fought against each other, and made their names known across kingdoms. Not only does the song use a different language, but it also features an instrument that is not used in any other song - a violin that creates an unmatched atmosphere while listening to it.

Warkings have proved, once again, that they are pros when it comes to writing catchy and engaging power metal songs. The album is perfectly executed in almost every sense, with the features of immaculate guitar, drum and bass work. The songs are presented in a well chosen order, giving the listeners a space to explore each of the topics to the core. Armageddon is a very promising album in the history-book of power metal and - apart from the extensive track-list, that might discourage some from listening to the piece - this work is to be considered some of the best out there.

Score: 9/10

Armageddon was released on July 4th 2025 via Napalm Records.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Warkings