You know what Wildcard is almost as soon as “Gods Of Rock N Roll” begins. The soaring vocals, the riffs, the harmonies: classic rock, played classically. There is a touch of Iron Maiden here, a Thin Lizzy groove there and, naturally, the sort of proper rock-god solo that demands an appropriately heroic pose.
Formed in Nottingham in 2023, Death Warmed Up comprise vocalist William Evans, lead guitarist Charlie Willis, rhythm guitarist Lewis Potter, bassist Romarno O’Reily and drummer Alex Keeling. They might be a relatively new band, but there is nothing tentative about their debut album.
And it is an album in the old-fashioned sense: nine songs, like they used to make them, with no filler and no sense that anything is here simply to boost the streaming numbers.
“Inside My Mind” possesses a groove played by five men who clearly love what they do. That enthusiasm matters. Wildcard never feels like a group merely trying on the clothes of their heroes; it sounds like a band determined to keep this music alive.
“Mortal Remains” could almost have come from Bruce Dickinson’s Skunkworks era, while “Cold Act” has the sort of hooks that worm their way into your brain. Death Warmed Up understand that heavy metal works best when the riffs are backed by songs people can actually remember.
“Rising Star” provides a proper change of pace. The way it builds adds another colour to the record, while Evans declares: “I said to the machine, you’re never playing me.” Perhaps that underlines the individualism running throughout the album. Death Warmed Up know where they have come from, but they are not interested in being controlled by anyone else’s expectations.
Then “Roulette” sets off with a proper Maiden gallop, as though the band have decided to cram everything they possibly can into their debut. The impressive thing is that they do it so well. Wildcard is packed with ideas, but it rarely sounds cluttered.
“Chains Of Hate” slows things down slightly, although everything is helped by the fact that Evans possesses the perfect metal voice. Powerful, clear and unmistakably suited to this music, he provides a commanding presence throughout.
“Great Day For Dying” ends in a gloriously unhinged jam before the record reaches “Death Warmed Up.” Another metal band once finished its debut album with an eponymous song, of course, and things worked out reasonably well for Iron Maiden.
Death Warmed Up have already toured extensively across the UK, sharing stages with Defences, Paradise Sins and Circus 66. They would have fitted comfortably on any of those bills, but Wildcard suggests their ambitions stretch far beyond merely filling a support slot.
The band say that each track has a piece of their soul woven into the music and that they have captured something raw and powerful. That is not empty promotional talk. You can hear that commitment across all nine songs.
There is much to get excited about here, not least the overwhelming sense that Death Warmed Up are only getting started. On the evidence of their debut, playing the Wildcard might prove to be a very safe bet indeed.
Rating: 8/10
