Well, I have to say that this is a pleasant surprise! The Speed of Metal is only Warrant‘s third album in a forty-year-plus career, a career blighted by long periods of inactivity and the obvious, longstanding confusion over their relationship to the ‘other’ band of the same name; All that said though the Düsseldorf enforcers have returned in 2025, eleven years after their last offering, with something of a winner.

Something that always pleases me is this band’s slick adherence to the Teutonic tenets on which they originally staked their claim all those years ago; Tracks like Falling Down and Demons will resonate immediately with anybody that loves that early German sound, but, like their close cousins Rage and Paradox – both of whom have coincidentally released albums very recently – a triple headed tour opportunity, perhaps? – the band have revised and expanded on that base in order if not to move with the times then certainly to reflect them – The Speed of Metal has a very modern sheen to it’s sound.

Many of you will have read the wildly differing views shooting out of the internet concerning the band’s decision to cover Windy City, a track from UK glam giants The Sweet‘s 1977 album Off The Record. My contribution to the debate would be that, jarring though the selection is with regard to the rest of the material – and placing it in the middle of the album’s running order certainly accentuates the change up in styles – the band’s take on the track undoubtedly works, with bassist/vocalist Jörg Juraschek‘s love for the track shining through and the band successfully beefing up the AC/DCish feel of the track in heroic fashion.

It’s a good effort, and would certainly grace a ‘B-Side’ if seven inch singles were still a thing, but really, when the band can come up with sturdy anthems of their own of the quality of Cry Out, you have to ask what the point of it’s inclusion (beyond the fulfillment of a long standing dream on the part of Juraschek) really is.

All in all then a very strong return, which, as noted, is going to find a receptive ear among the faithful who lap up this kind of musical style. Maybe just don’t leave it so long til you release another, eh guys?

The Speed of Metal releases on October 24th.