"Enter The Arena", the new album from Texas metal titans
WARBEAST, can be streamed in its entirety using the
SoundCloud widget below. Due on August 4 via
Philip H. Anselmo's
Housecore Records, the disc was captured at
Anselmo's
Nodferatu's Lair, mixed by
Mike Thompson at the
Riff Factory and mastered by
Lee Russell. It features newest
WARBEAST recruits, guitarist
Drew Shoup and bassist
Lyric Ferchaud, and stands among the band's most potent, volatile, and unrepentantly powerful offering yet.
"We recorded
'Enter The Arena' exactly a decade after we formed
WARBEAST," notes vocalist
Bruce Corbitt. "The nucleus and founding members of this band [guitarist
Scott Shelby, drummer
Joey Gonzalez and
Corbitt] provided the essential veteran leadership that was vital for us to reach our goal of creating our magnum opus. The three of us also contributed our unique individual styles to guarantee that we still sound like
WARBEAST. But with the addition of our two newest members — guitarist
Drew Shoup and bassist
Lyric Ferchaud — who I call the 'Youngbloods,' it was like adding a breath-of-fresh-air to our chemistry. We definitely sound like a well-oiled-machine on this album. So get prepared for the upcoming onslaught of pure, fresh, and quintessential Texas thrash!"
"
'Enter The Arena' is
WARBEAST at its finest in performance, writing and tone quality," adds
Shelby. "I'm confident that it will please any rivethead out there! I believe it's mine and our best work to date."
The release of
WARBEAST's
"Enter The Arena" follows
Corbitt's recent and tragic announcement that he's been diagnosed with esophageal cancer — a treatable though rarely curable disease — facing the likelihood that he will never be able to sing again.
In a recent
Facebook message to fans,
Corbitt revealed: "After much discussion with the doctors and specialist, they've told me there's no chance within any reasonable time that I'll ever be able to perform again. So it breaks my heart at this time that I'm forced to announce my retirement from singing.
"I'm sorry to all of my bandmates for letting them down. I'm devastated with all of this hitting me so fast. I'm still in shock.
"Thanks for all of the great support all these years," he continues. "You're the best fans and I love all of you! We at least have a great
WARBEAST album and music video coming soon.
"I can't even begin to explain my feelings. You guys have given me the strength I need to even prepare for this fight. Honestly, I was close to losing hope that there was any good to come out of this. Of course, I'm scared for my life like any normal human being would be. Those moments when I can get on Facebook and scroll through all of your messages, the emotion takes over. I cry, I get stronger, I also realize what all of you mean to me. I do believe in the power prayer and positive vibes. And I have all of you to thank for that."
Corbitt, who recently began an intensive schedule of radiation treatments, played his final show on Saturday, May 27 at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The band's CD-release party took place on July 14 at The Rail Club in Ft. Worth, Texas. Vocals were handled by
Anselmo,
Edwin Neal (
"Texas Chain Saw Massacre"), and
Wayne Abney of
HAMMER WITCH.
A special fund to help with the
Corbitt family's escalating medical expenses has been set up. To donate, go to
this location.
"Enter The Arena" track listing:
01.
Centuries Of Poisoned Soil
02.
Punishment For Gluttony
03.
Orchestration Of Violence
04.
Maze Of The Minotaur
05.
Hitchhiker
06.
Chemicals Consuming
07.
Enter The Arena
08.
The Scalping
09.
Conjuration With The Devil
10.
Ancient Hate
Photo by
Eric Younkin Jr.
