Ashes of Ares --- Ashes of Ares --- 2013 (Nuclear Blast)
Debut album from the former members of Iced Earth and Nevermore, Ashes of Ares have only been together less than a year but are poised to make a big noise across the metal scene. A sort of gothic, dramatic start to the album with "The messenger", nice chimy guitar and a deep vocal before the guitar kicks in properly and the percussion slams in too, the vocal higher now but still very clear. Moving along at a decent mid-pace, good opener then "Move the chains" pushes the envelope a little more, ramping up the tempo which comes right back then for "On warrior's wings".
A power ballad in traditional metal style, it has hard guitar mixed with soft acoustic, and a nice vocal performance from Matt Barlow. Also in traditional metal fashion it speeds up about halfway through, throwing off all pretensions at being a ballad as Freddie Vidales unleashes his talent on the frets. "Punishment" is a hard stomping grinder, with Barlow almost whispering the vocal in a menacing hiss and nice chugalong guitar. Speaking of guitar, some nice Spanish guitar in "This is my hell", which slows things down again with a sort of acoustic opening before breaking into a harder rock groove.
"The answer" is another partial ballad, with some nice vocal harmonies but I think some piano or keyboard would have gone well here, even an orchestra could they or had they wanted to spring for it. Decent track though. "What I am" then rocks things back up as we head towards the end of the album, which I'll be honest is okay but hasn't impressed me. The closer is "The one-eyed king", with a guitar riff opening right out of Maiden's "Flash of the blade" and a military drumbeat. It's all right but it's not a spectacular closer, though in fairness there's nothing spectacular about this album.
TRACKLISTING
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
11. The answer (acoustic version)
Even the addition of an acoustic version of one of the better tracks on this debut doesn't really help lift it out of the realms of the mediocre in my mind. Perhaps not mediocre, but certainly not a revelation. And given the talent involved, well, you'd just expect better I think. But overall it's a pretty ordinary album that I'll be in no hurry to listen to again, nor will I be waiting breathlessly for their next release, should they have one.
Read more here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashes_Of_Ares