ASHES OF ARES
“EMPERORS AND FOOLS”
Album Review by The Metal Disciple

9/10

Ashes Of Ares is a heavy progressive/power metal band which hails from the USA. The band was formed in 2012 by vocalist Matt Barlow and guitarist/bassist Freddie Vidales. The duo, together with an army of guest musicians, released their debut self-titled album the following year to critical acclaim. The follow-up, the excellent “Well Of Souls”, was released in 2018 and the “Throne Of Equity” E.P. saw the light of day last year.

The band is now on the verge of releasing a third opus, with “Emperors And Fools” being released in January next year via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. This new record sees Matt and Freddie in fine form once again, as they take the darkness and aggression of “Well Of Souls” to a higher echelon. And, with the writing process beginning soon after that 2018 release, the collaborative effort between the two musicians has seen another superb collection of songs culminating together to form “Emperors And Fools”.

With its eleven tracks (twelve if you purchase the CD version), “Emperors And Fools” sees Ashes Of Ares take another epic journey that’ll keep you hooked for just over an hour. The album sees the masterful duo joined by the following guest musicians: Van Williams (Drums); Johan Weingarten (Keyboards “A City In Decay [Intro]”); Wiley Arnett [Sacred Reich] (1st Guitar Solo “The Iron Throne”); Charlie Mark (2nd Guitar Solo “The Iron Throne”); Bill Hudson (2nd Guitar Solo “Monster’s Lament”); Tim Ripper Owens (Guest Vocals “Monster’s Lament”); and Brian Trainor (Keyboards “Monster’s Lament”). The album was produced by Ashes Of Ares, and mixed and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording, Phoenix, Arizona, while Kamil Pietruczynik was tasked with designing the excellent cover artwork.

The instrumental sounds of “A City In Decay (Intro)” reverberate from the speakers upon pressing play, before the band launches straight into the thunderous “I Am The Night” amongst an onslaught of wonderfully heavy guitar riffs, pummelling basslines, and pounding drums. You’ll be hooked immediately, as Matt Barlow grips you with a contagious vocal attack containing aggression and melody, while the heavy guitar riffs of Freddie Vidales drive the song forwards in style.

With barely a second to breathe, the band lead you into the thunderous head banger of “Our Last Sunrise”, which includes a super guitar solo from Freddie during the song’s second half. The tempo is turned down a notch for the opening sections of “Primed”, as beautiful guitar-licks slowly edge you into the song. Don’t be fooled though because, Ashes Of Ares do a complete u-turn after fifty five seconds, slamming you against the wall with insanely punishing riffs that’ll certainly test your neck muscles, as you’re forced to enter the place “Where God Fears To Go”. With Matt putting in a larynx-ripping performance and Freddie shredding to his heart’s delight, this number has Heavy Metal (capital H, capital M) pouring from its veins and is an utterly joyous listen worthy of numerous repeats.

Meanwhile, the album’s title track offers up a beautiful, slow-moving ballad, which contains some wonderful guitar-play and exquisite vocals from Matt. A neat little bass solo from Freddie during the song’s second half leads to an upturn in tempo, before the band take you into “By My Blade” and its brilliant heavy rhythm, which will delight traditional metallers everywhere. “By My Blade” is one of those tunes that remind us why we fell in love with this genre of music in the first place, and will surely be a regular in Ashes Of Ares’ live set for years to come. The band follows “By My Blade” up with the impressive slab of heavy metal that is “What Tomorrow Will Bring”, which sees them on form as they deliver an important message during these challenging times.

Just when you thought you’d heard the best these musicians had to offer, the band smacks you in the face with the outrageously excellent “The Iron Throne”. The song rolls along with a delightful rhythm, and includes guitar solos from Wiley Arnett [Sacred Reich] and Charlie Mark, both of whom add more bite to an already superb display of musicianship. “Gone” slows proceedings down a tad with some beautiful guitars and vocals, before the tempo escalates with an impressive on/off riff throughout. The song sees this American duo in fine form once again, as they play through this heavy ballad for a running time just shy of six minutes.

If you purchase the CD version of “Emperors And Fools” (and I urge you to do so), you’ll also get the bonus track, which is the penultimate number, “Throne Of Iniquity”. What you get with “Throne Of Iniquity” is an additional five-minute slab of heavy metal epicness, which rumbles along towards the album closer “Monster’s Lament”. And, “Monster’s Lament” is an absolute monster in every sense of the word, the opening of which won’t be lost on Metallica fans! The song runs for a massive eleven-and-a-half minutes, and includes a guitar solo from Bill Hudson as well as Brian Trainor on the keyboards. However, with no disrespect to the other musicians present, the pièce de résistance has to be the appearance of the terrific Tim Ripper Owens, who contributes towards the vocals. All together, these musicians combine to present us with an epic final chapter to an excellent album.

Overall, “Emperors And Fools” sees Ashes Of Ares return in fine form. The album draws you in and keeps you hooked from start to finish, as the band raises the bar for heavy metal with this third opus. An impressive list of guest musicians only serves to add to the first-class musicianship on display here, as Ashes Of Ares ensure that the new year will kick off in epic style, with an early contender for album of the year in “Emperors And Fools”. An essential purchase for any heavy music collector, so don’t be a fool…

TRACKLIST

A City In Decay (Intro) [1.27]
I Am The Night [3.43]
Our Last Sunrise [3.43]
Primed [4.20]
Where God Fears To Go [4.41]
Emperors And Fools [5.09]
By My Blade [5.24]
What Tomorrow Will Bring [4.37]
The Iron Throne [4.47]
Gone [5.53]
Throne Of Iniquity (CD Exclusive Track) [5.06]
Monster’s Lament [11.30]

http://www.ashesofares.com
http://www.facebook.com/AshesOfAres

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