| CD REVIEW War Of Ages |
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Band : War Of Ages I’ve no good idea of when this Eerie (Pennsylvania) based Christian Metalcore band was formed, as my usual sources are all lacking that bit of info! What I dó know however, is that the band already released two prior album on the Facedown label with 2006’s Pride Of The Wicked andtheearlier Fire From The Tomb (same comment about lacking info applies), and apparently there was also a self-titled release (which had already gotten cover art from Dave Quiggle, with whom the band would continue to work). Their current line-up is composed of brothers Corey (singer & lyricist) and Alex Hamp (drummer), Steve Brown (guitarist and main songwriter), bassist TJ Alford, and the band’s latest addition Branon ‘Guy’ Bernatowicz (second guitar). Before the arrival of the latter, the band had already risen from an unknown entity to insider Underground band-to-watch-out-for, to a truly hot band in the Metalcore scene through an ever rising profile gigwize (2006 was started by a tour with Hell Within during February, then one with Bloody Sunday in March, prior to the release of Pride Of The Wicked in October, which was followed by extensive touring throughout that saame month. November was the band allied with Full Blown Chaos, Remember Never, and The Warriors, and during December they again hit the US roads with Fjord, The Esoteric, and Twelve Tribes. 2007 opened with a tour alongside heaviweights All Shall Perish, Terror, The Warriors, and Stick To Your Guns in January, followed by more dates with Across Five Aprils, Deathstar, and Scars of Tomorrow throughout February and March. In other words, the guys were making themselves seen throughout the US, making new fans with each appearance! Now on their older material, the guys always took care of production themselves, but tis time around they felt it would be nice to have an outsider’s aid in both the writing and recording/ production process. So at first they contacted Bleeding Through’s Brandon Skapetti, but somehow things didn’t work out. On the off chance that As I Lay Dying’s Tim Lambesis might wanna give ‘em some imput during the writing process (the guys thought Lambesis would really be too occupied with other projects to be involved in more than a casual way…maybe sit in on ‘em in between tours and all), they had their label contact Tim, whom reacted almost immediately that he would be interested in helping the band out all the way! But then the band got offered to go on tour with Soilwork and Throwdown, which was an opportunity too good to let pass by. However, as it happened to be, Lambesis was out on a tour at the same time, so things worked out just fine, the two finishing gigs only three days apart! Okay, time to talk music in more detailed terms, because…admit it…the term “Metalcore” is being used a slight bit too easily by loads of music journalists without the courage (or perseverance?) to delve under the surface for what lies beneath. So, important things to know is that Brown is influenced both by the music of ‘80s Hair Bands, as he is by the classic tone of Swedish Metal! However, when he and Corey (whom had his musical apprentise by listening to the Harcore outfits from his city and area) first started talking music, he was thought how to use the typical Hardcore breakdowns and intensity in his music. Over the years, Steve’s technical abilities grew more and more, and therfore the band’s current style is a perfect hybridisation of those technical abilities in the foremost Melodic Swedish Metal styled music, but not without bringing in those brutal breakdowns…but never with loss of overall melodies! Most of the vocals being screamed, you would have to look for more shouted ones to find “resting points” in that department. Still, the guys managed too bring an aalbum which shows sóme variety in that field as well! For the more experienced music listener, the album is a pure joy to listen to, as the slight underlaying complexity entices to listen to the material over and over again without inducing this feeling of getting accustomed to the stuff after a while. Personally, I just couldn’t get enough, and even put off the process to start this review twice (meanwhile reading up mmore and more bits of info on the band, even reading up on a complete interview the band did with HM Magazine earlier this year, when the recordings were just ended)…just to be able to give the album a few more runs through on cd-player. For your personal acqaintance with the album (or band)’s material, check out what’s posted at myspace.com/warofages (at the time when I looked that were two songs off the new album, plus three older tracks). To promote the album, the guys already allied with Impending Doom and Sleeping Giant for the Scream The Prayer Tour (from June 13 to the end of July). I’m not sure which festivals they attended this Summer, nor which other tours they did, but I dó know that the band will be over in Europe with H2O, Sick Of It All and Terror for a short tour during December (only 11 dates listed at their MySpace at this moment, and with 6 of those in Germany, they’ll nevertheless be playing Belgium as well…Dec. 7 seing ‘em bring The Flame to both believers and heretics at Torhout’s De Mast). 98/100 Tony. |