U.S. metal veterans Warlord are really one of those rare classic bands who make it to the modern day without ever really disappointing me. Free Spirit Soar, the band's 4th album (not counting Hunt for the Damien, which was a collection of old tracks re-recorded with a new singer), is just another example of this fact, albeit a bittersweet one. For those who don't know, it pains me to tell you that original guitarist and mastermind Bill Tsamis passed away on May 13, 2021, so despite writing and recording some of the demos for this album, this is the first release to be made largely without him. This is also the first release to have only one original member in the lineup, in this case drummer extraordinaire and new band lead Mark Zonder, so it's all but expected that this album would sound different from classic Warlord.

Thankfully, it seems Mark and his new army of warlordians (OK, bassist Philip Bynoe has been around since 2013, but still) manage to stay true to the Warlord sound, with addictive and hooky compositions that are epic and often larger than life, here led by the strong, flexible vocal chords of Giles Lavery. It's hard to pick highlights because every song here, despite a more modern production, sounds like Warlord and nothing else right down to their structure and quality, but songs like "Behold a Pale Horse," "The Rider," "Conquerors," and the title track will lead you charging down the battlefield to smite your foes like anything from Warlord should.

It's hard for legends of the underground to stay that way after their time, especially when most of the original players and visionaries have gone on to better things and better places, but Free Spirit Soar stands not only as a testament to that legend, but also a loving tribute to the man who built it from the ground up. I'm sure Bill would be proud of what his compatriots have made in his absence, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it all as much as I do.

(In memory of Bill Tsamis, March 13, 1961–May 13, 2021)