Named for famous snitch, and instigator of the Salem Witch Trials, Abigail Williams have a take on black metal that is very much their own. Atmospheric, explosive and rife with drama, they can be compared to Wolves In The Throne Room, another band where the songs can be four minute blasts of fury or they can undulate and unravel at their own pace the ferocity and fury leaning towards melodic leads and ethereal climbs.
Abigail Williams do the same thing, Nonexistence, shifts between the two styles effortlessly while Still Nights let's them off the leash with out and out violence, guitars polished and savage, the drumming again from Mike Heller (Fear Factory/Ghost Bath) virtuosic in it's brutality, he joined main man Ken Sorceron on Abigail Williams' 2019 record Walk Beyond The Dark and makes his mark again on A Void Within Existence. A mention of Fear Factory could be linked to Talk To Your Sleep, a track with an industrial edge to it which transcends into strings, again the drumming a huge reason why this track has so much power.
Sorceron plays/programs everything else and his musical vision is still further reaching than many in the black metal genre, be it the incredible guitar playing, the orchestrations or his bestial vocals all create these impressive tracks but Sorceron is a man who doesn't want to be limited by his genre, employing clean vocals on No Less Than Death to guarantee that when the key change comes in it's got much more power when he screams again. The album deals with loss and existentialism, peeling away reality we surround ourselves with and the cosmic horrors that may lay at the edge of our galaxy. It's an album that tries to decide whether any of this is real, is it authentic or are we pawns in a much bigger game of interplanetary chess.
A Void Within Existence is intelligent black metal on the fringes of what the genre norms are. Cinematic in scope and devastating in it's delivery this is wonderfully bleak, expertly played extreme music. 9/10
Ashes Of Ares – New Messiahs (RPM-ROAR)
Matt Barlow needs no introduction, if you know anything about American power metal you will know who he is. In 2012 he formed a band with guitarist Freddie Vidales and ex-Nevermore drummer Van Williams, after their debut album Williams left so Barlow and Vidales continued to create together resulting in two more albums in 2018 and 2022, with each album Ashes Of Ares have gotten heavier and closer to the music that Barlow was associated with for many years.
On their fourth album New Messiahs they turn the amps up to eleven on their heaviest release so far. Precision guitars that create a modern thrash sound resulting in the title track having a huge chug with more than a little influence from Blaze Bayley. The battery continues on Two Graves where Vidales soloing explodes over another chunky set of riffs, Vidales has struck a perfetc balance between explosive leads but consummate rhythms that keep coming as the sledgehammer drumming of Kyle Taylor the rudder for the pace shifts. Kyle is a guest drummer as Ashes Of Ares are just a 2 piece so they also have some guest appearances from Charlie Honig, Craig Blackwell, and Todd La Torre which flexes their connections of nothing else.
Ashes Of Ares – New Messiahs (RPM-ROAR)
Matt Barlow needs no introduction, if you know anything about American power metal you will know who he is. In 2012 he formed a band with guitarist Freddie Vidales and ex-Nevermore drummer Van Williams, after their debut album Williams left so Barlow and Vidales continued to create together resulting in two more albums in 2018 and 2022, with each album Ashes Of Ares have gotten heavier and closer to the music that Barlow was associated with for many years.
On their fourth album New Messiahs they turn the amps up to eleven on their heaviest release so far. Precision guitars that create a modern thrash sound resulting in the title track having a huge chug with more than a little influence from Blaze Bayley. The battery continues on Two Graves where Vidales soloing explodes over another chunky set of riffs, Vidales has struck a perfetc balance between explosive leads but consummate rhythms that keep coming as the sledgehammer drumming of Kyle Taylor the rudder for the pace shifts. Kyle is a guest drummer as Ashes Of Ares are just a 2 piece so they also have some guest appearances from Charlie Honig, Craig Blackwell, and Todd La Torre which flexes their connections of nothing else.
The duo are the main event though, Vidales riffs come thick and fast, Wake Of Vultures staying with the modern riffs as Matt Barlow uses the full force of his vocals across every song. His belting still incredibly powerful while his snarling mids and lows giving Infection Deception and Atrophy aggression, Barlow has been one of my favourite vocalists since he had incredibly long hair and was wowing audiences across the world and he hasn't lost any of his potency, crooning on the mechanical crush of Lust To Feed or the bludgeoning From Hell He Rides which is one of the few songs on this album that reminds me of Barlow's younger days.
Even on a more introspective songs such as Keep On Walkin' or the unique cover of Elton John's album track, And The House Fell Down his vocals are a standout, getting a bit Tom Waits on the cover. Recorded and mastered by Byron Filson, New Messiahs is a more intense, darker, and heavier offering from Ashes Of Ares. 9/10
Scardust – Souls (Frontiers Music Srl)
Scardust have released two albums before this one and have collaborated with artists such as Patty Gurdy, played with bands like Blind Guardian so it's no wonder that they have been snapped up by Frontiers Music, who clearly recognise the potency of a sound that embraces Symphony X, Therion, and Epica, with plenty of orchestral moments, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Celtic influences.
Much of the buzz around this band is focussed, rightly on vocalist Noa Gruman, she has appeared alongside bands like Amorphis Ayreon and Orphaned Land as a guest vocalist and leads the Hellscore metal choir, who do acapella covers of metal songs. The Hellscore choir features heavily on Souls alongside a string quartet, on every song, there's also some high profile special guests on this third album with Ross Jennings of Haken, Ally Storch of Subway To Sally, along with two orchestras to really give a cinematic sound to this album.
So the album, what does Souls offer to anyone who hasn't heard Scardust before? Well this third record is probably the most progressive, baroque record in their trio of albums so far. They don't ease you in, Long Forgotten Song building from jazzy piano and shifting time signatures. A quirky start to the record before My Haven goes back to the bands origins starting point with guitar/keyboard driven symphonic metal where Gal Gabriel Israel (guitars) and Aaron Friedland (keys) duel throughout, though bassist Orr Didi also gets a solo to really hammer home their virtuosity.
The heavy continues in RIP where Noa employs her full range, including growls as the battery from Yoav Weinberg doesn't relent as the Symphony X/Dream Theater/Haken influences are their strongest here. Of course the band need a suite and they have one that takes up the last three songs of the record, Touch Of Life is a masterpiece, Ross Jennings adding his vocals here for a full prog party.
However Scardust don't always have to makes things complex as Dazzling Darkness and Unreachable reminds me of both Disney and Eurovision while Swearing Echoes embraces gothic overtones Noa moving into her top soprano. Souls is a perfect debut on Frontiers for Scardust, a deeply progressive metal album that balances heaviness with melody but also expands what they do going forward. 9/10
Exvamon – Odyssey Of Fate (Self Released)
An album called Odyssey Of Fate? An album cover with a painting of a very Rhapsody looking dragon? More guitar widdling than an Yngwie Malmsteen record? It’s got to be power metal then? In their promo pics California based band Exvamon all seem ridiculously young and one is wearing an Immortal Guardian shirt, another a Rhapsody Of Fire shirt, so we know where to start then. I can guarantee this band can 100% complete Through The Fire And The Flames on Guitar Hero as they are very much influenced by Dragonforce and the bands I mentioned earlier.
Even on a more introspective songs such as Keep On Walkin' or the unique cover of Elton John's album track, And The House Fell Down his vocals are a standout, getting a bit Tom Waits on the cover. Recorded and mastered by Byron Filson, New Messiahs is a more intense, darker, and heavier offering from Ashes Of Ares. 9/10
Scardust – Souls (Frontiers Music Srl)
Scardust have released two albums before this one and have collaborated with artists such as Patty Gurdy, played with bands like Blind Guardian so it's no wonder that they have been snapped up by Frontiers Music, who clearly recognise the potency of a sound that embraces Symphony X, Therion, and Epica, with plenty of orchestral moments, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Celtic influences.
Much of the buzz around this band is focussed, rightly on vocalist Noa Gruman, she has appeared alongside bands like Amorphis Ayreon and Orphaned Land as a guest vocalist and leads the Hellscore metal choir, who do acapella covers of metal songs. The Hellscore choir features heavily on Souls alongside a string quartet, on every song, there's also some high profile special guests on this third album with Ross Jennings of Haken, Ally Storch of Subway To Sally, along with two orchestras to really give a cinematic sound to this album.
So the album, what does Souls offer to anyone who hasn't heard Scardust before? Well this third record is probably the most progressive, baroque record in their trio of albums so far. They don't ease you in, Long Forgotten Song building from jazzy piano and shifting time signatures. A quirky start to the record before My Haven goes back to the bands origins starting point with guitar/keyboard driven symphonic metal where Gal Gabriel Israel (guitars) and Aaron Friedland (keys) duel throughout, though bassist Orr Didi also gets a solo to really hammer home their virtuosity.
The heavy continues in RIP where Noa employs her full range, including growls as the battery from Yoav Weinberg doesn't relent as the Symphony X/Dream Theater/Haken influences are their strongest here. Of course the band need a suite and they have one that takes up the last three songs of the record, Touch Of Life is a masterpiece, Ross Jennings adding his vocals here for a full prog party.
However Scardust don't always have to makes things complex as Dazzling Darkness and Unreachable reminds me of both Disney and Eurovision while Swearing Echoes embraces gothic overtones Noa moving into her top soprano. Souls is a perfect debut on Frontiers for Scardust, a deeply progressive metal album that balances heaviness with melody but also expands what they do going forward. 9/10
Exvamon – Odyssey Of Fate (Self Released)
An album called Odyssey Of Fate? An album cover with a painting of a very Rhapsody looking dragon? More guitar widdling than an Yngwie Malmsteen record? It’s got to be power metal then? In their promo pics California based band Exvamon all seem ridiculously young and one is wearing an Immortal Guardian shirt, another a Rhapsody Of Fire shirt, so we know where to start then. I can guarantee this band can 100% complete Through The Fire And The Flames on Guitar Hero as they are very much influenced by Dragonforce and the bands I mentioned earlier.
An American band playing European Neo-classical metal, is not a new thing but bloody hell this foursome do it very well. Considering this is their debut album they’ve managed to capture the adrenaline of power metal with inhuman blastbeats, intense guitar workouts and soaring vocals which are the most American part of the record for me as they move more into the US thrash/speed metal delivery than the stupidly over the top European style.
I’ll underline that here and say I love the vocals on Odyssey Of Fate, tracks such as Hero, Arise, gets a thrash overhaul because of them, their sojourns into thrash and speed metal keeping Odyssey Of Fate from becoming a total cheese fest like some Rhapsody or Dragonforce records. They have a maturity beyond their years and can apply a gentle touch when needed, like on the beginning of Path To Freedom.
Four of the tracks have already featured on an EP, but I hadn’t heard that EP before now so everything was new to me and I’m considerably impressed with what Exvamon do as a band. I’ve always been a sucker for great power metal and Exvamon play great power metal. A stellar debut! 9/10
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