Power Metal
Nuclear Blast
2013
1. The Messenger
2. Move The Chains
3. On Warrior's Wings
4. Punishment
5. This Is My Hell
6. Dead Man's Plight
7. Chalice Of Man
8. The Answer
9. What I Am
10. The One Eyed King (Bonus)
Anyone who knows me at all knows what a huge fan of Matt Barlow I am. The guy is probably my favorite metal vocalist of all time so it pretty much goes without saying that this project had my interest from the start. Not only that, but Ashes of Ares also boasts one of my favorite drummers, Van Williams who formerly played for Nevermore. Rounding out the lineup is Freddie Vidales who played for Iced Earth. That's seriously a whole lot of talent for one band to contain. I had no question going in that the band has the talent to be great. My only question was if they also had the ability to write good songs. Being able to execute material and write it is not the same deal.
I have to say that my first real experience with the band set my expectations a bit low. When the single, Dead Man's Plight, came out it kind of underwhelmed me. The track is just a bit too plodding and uninventive and doesn't really have a lot of energy. When you hear a single like that you have to just stop and wonder... is this really the best the album has to offer?
Thankfully, the answer is no... not even close. Of all the songs on the album that is my least favorite and pretty much everything else puts it to shame. Not sure about that single decision, but it's a small complaint when you hear the rest of the album is awesome.
The Messenger opens up the album with a mid-paced approach, but good vocal range and just a lot more passion. This isn't too far off an Iced Earth track in feel and reminds me a bit of the original Something Wicked album. After that, Move The Chains picks up the pace nicely with some biting riffs that make it my personal favorite on the album. This is just really good, no frills, screaming metal. I kind of like that not all of this album is epic or written around concepts like Iced Earth has been of late. Beyond that we get a bit more melodic with epic flair for On Warrior's Wings which shows off Barlow's softer vocal ability. Next up, Punishment comes in with a lot of attitude and some really heavy grooves. Nothing, but keepers so far and nothing changes as This Is My Hell starts off with an acoustic song, building into some heavier emotionally charged power from Barlow. After that one we head into Dead Man's Plight which still doesn't quite have it. One weaker track on a debut album is pretty forgivable though so let's move on to Chalice Of Man. This one comes out speedy as hell and just a tad chaotic, but I like the wide open sound and the aggression is a nice change of pace. After that we get a bit softer again as Barlow shows off his ability to project emotion beautifully through his voice. It's one of my favorite things about the guy and his ability to go from soft to a screaming demon never ceases to amaze. Rounding out the regular tracks we have What I Am which is another ripping beast of a track. Also worth noting is the bonus track The One-Eyed King which also has great edge to the guitar and plenty of heaviness to go around. This is not a filler extra.
It's not often I write about every track on an album, but barring maybe the single, everything is worth writing about. This is damn fine straight up heavy metal that recalls a very traditional style mixed with the power that power metal should have. Barlow's range is in full force here and it's a pretty perfect album for a superior frontman to be at the helm of. This is ranged, this is heavy, and this is damn good. There's a fair amount of reminders of Iced Earth, but the band also has their own songwriting flair. It just doesn't range too far from what made Barlow and that can't really be a complaint. This is just a great album for fans of Barlow era Iced Earth.
I think everyone who's as big of a fan of Barlow as I am can breathe a sigh of relief now. Not only is Matt Barlow not vanishing from the scene, but this is a great new start for him. Ashes Of Ares have what it takes to overcome the expectations of past material and make a band that stands well on it's own. This is great stuff for fans of Iced Earth, but also any fans of straight up metal. This is traditional in a way few bands are now a days in the world of subgenres, but it also manages to not sound dated at all. This is no easy feet and Ashes Of Ares is worthy of a lot of praise here. I only hope I did it justice here. The best thing I can say though is that you need to hear this for yourself.
Highlights: Move The Chains, Punishment, The Messenger, What I Am
Rating - 4.0/5
1. The Messenger
2. Move The Chains
3. On Warrior's Wings
4. Punishment
5. This Is My Hell
6. Dead Man's Plight
7. Chalice Of Man
8. The Answer
9. What I Am
10. The One Eyed King (Bonus)
Anyone who knows me at all knows what a huge fan of Matt Barlow I am. The guy is probably my favorite metal vocalist of all time so it pretty much goes without saying that this project had my interest from the start. Not only that, but Ashes of Ares also boasts one of my favorite drummers, Van Williams who formerly played for Nevermore. Rounding out the lineup is Freddie Vidales who played for Iced Earth. That's seriously a whole lot of talent for one band to contain. I had no question going in that the band has the talent to be great. My only question was if they also had the ability to write good songs. Being able to execute material and write it is not the same deal.
I have to say that my first real experience with the band set my expectations a bit low. When the single, Dead Man's Plight, came out it kind of underwhelmed me. The track is just a bit too plodding and uninventive and doesn't really have a lot of energy. When you hear a single like that you have to just stop and wonder... is this really the best the album has to offer?
Thankfully, the answer is no... not even close. Of all the songs on the album that is my least favorite and pretty much everything else puts it to shame. Not sure about that single decision, but it's a small complaint when you hear the rest of the album is awesome.
The Messenger opens up the album with a mid-paced approach, but good vocal range and just a lot more passion. This isn't too far off an Iced Earth track in feel and reminds me a bit of the original Something Wicked album. After that, Move The Chains picks up the pace nicely with some biting riffs that make it my personal favorite on the album. This is just really good, no frills, screaming metal. I kind of like that not all of this album is epic or written around concepts like Iced Earth has been of late. Beyond that we get a bit more melodic with epic flair for On Warrior's Wings which shows off Barlow's softer vocal ability. Next up, Punishment comes in with a lot of attitude and some really heavy grooves. Nothing, but keepers so far and nothing changes as This Is My Hell starts off with an acoustic song, building into some heavier emotionally charged power from Barlow. After that one we head into Dead Man's Plight which still doesn't quite have it. One weaker track on a debut album is pretty forgivable though so let's move on to Chalice Of Man. This one comes out speedy as hell and just a tad chaotic, but I like the wide open sound and the aggression is a nice change of pace. After that we get a bit softer again as Barlow shows off his ability to project emotion beautifully through his voice. It's one of my favorite things about the guy and his ability to go from soft to a screaming demon never ceases to amaze. Rounding out the regular tracks we have What I Am which is another ripping beast of a track. Also worth noting is the bonus track The One-Eyed King which also has great edge to the guitar and plenty of heaviness to go around. This is not a filler extra.
It's not often I write about every track on an album, but barring maybe the single, everything is worth writing about. This is damn fine straight up heavy metal that recalls a very traditional style mixed with the power that power metal should have. Barlow's range is in full force here and it's a pretty perfect album for a superior frontman to be at the helm of. This is ranged, this is heavy, and this is damn good. There's a fair amount of reminders of Iced Earth, but the band also has their own songwriting flair. It just doesn't range too far from what made Barlow and that can't really be a complaint. This is just a great album for fans of Barlow era Iced Earth.
I think everyone who's as big of a fan of Barlow as I am can breathe a sigh of relief now. Not only is Matt Barlow not vanishing from the scene, but this is a great new start for him. Ashes Of Ares have what it takes to overcome the expectations of past material and make a band that stands well on it's own. This is great stuff for fans of Iced Earth, but also any fans of straight up metal. This is traditional in a way few bands are now a days in the world of subgenres, but it also manages to not sound dated at all. This is no easy feet and Ashes Of Ares is worthy of a lot of praise here. I only hope I did it justice here. The best thing I can say though is that you need to hear this for yourself.
Highlights: Move The Chains, Punishment, The Messenger, What I Am
Rating - 4.0/5
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