Ashes Of Ares (USA)

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Ashes Of Ares - Ashes Of Ares (Limited Edition Digipak) (2013)













Year : 2013
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : USA
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 123 mb

Bio:

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of founding members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales. Within months of their departure from the iconic metal band ICED EARTH, they came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, Ashes of Ares is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

Album:

Ashes of Ares debut album is filled with powerful vocals, bone-crushing riffs, and pummeling drums. Matt Barlow shows us that his voice is as stalwart as always. He demonstrates his ability to master several vocal styles, from the softer tracks like 'The Answer' to the pulverizing songs like 'Move The Chains' and 'Punishment'. The other two featured in the trio are Freddie Vidales (Ex-Iced Earth) and Van Williams (Ex-Nevermore). Although Freddie Vidales only played bass for Iced Earth in the past, he tackles the lead guitar duties on this album, and does not disappoint. Van Williams adds drumming that helps some of the songs stand out from others. 'Ashes of Ares' is an album that many loyal Barlow fans were waiting for since its very first announcement, and it lives up to the expectations.The song strategically released in order to titillate us before the album's official release was 'Dead Man's Plight'. The songs helps set the mood for the rest of the album, with its heavy buildup and headbanging verses. We are thrown into the chasms of heavy metal glory right away as Barlow shrieks on top of his own voice coercing us to sing along. It doesn't really sound like a traditional Iced Earth song, and did a fantastic job of building up the anticipation of this album. The album starts out with 'The Messenger', which features a clean intro that bursts into a battle of chugging between the drums and guitar. 'On Warrior's Wings' is an allusion to some of the more epic Iced Earth ballads from the past like 'Question of Heaven' and 'Ghost of Freedom'. The lyrics and melody will bring a tear to your eye. "On the Wings!".The track 'Punishment' could easily be the best song on the album. The bass intro is complemented by whispers and drum fills, and ultimately exploding into one of the heaviest riffs on the album. From there Barlow takes the reigns, telling a story of delivering fierce punishment on wicked men.Overall, 'Ashes of Ares' offers a wide array of heavy metal sounds that will keep you entertained from start to finish. Matt Barlow turns any metal album into pure gold. As devastating as it was to see him leave Iced Earth for the second and final time, we can take solace in the fact the he will be putting out some pretty badass songs in the future.

Line-Up:

Matt Barlow - Vocals (2012-present) - See also: ex-Cauldron, First State Force Band, We Are Sentinels, ex-Iced Earth, ex-Pyramaze
Freddie Vidales - Guitars, Bass (2012-present) - See also: Sons of Liberty (live), ex-Infusion, ex-Iced Earth
Van Williams - Drums, Vocals (choirs, tracks 2, 9)

Tracklist:

01. The Messenger 05:07
02. Move the Chains 04:33
03. On Warrior's Wings 05:19
04. Punishment 05:20
05. This Is My Hell 05:13
06. Dead Man's Plight 04:40
07. Chalice of Man 03:48
08. The Answer 03:51
09. What I Am 04:06
10. The One-Eyed King 04:24
11. The Answer (Acoustic Version) 03:51 (Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Ashes Of Ares - Well Of Souls (Digipak Edition) (2018)













Year : 2018
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 199 mb

Bio:

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of founding members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales. Within months of their departure from the iconic metal band ICED EARTH, they came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, Ashes of Ares is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

Album:

Ashes of Ares returns with the long-awaited follow-up to their self-titled debut album. Well of Souls presents an increased intensity and more wide-ranging sound which builds upon the foundation laid down by the first album and further solidifies Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales' partnership in writing. Former Ashes of Ares member and close friend, Van Williams, contributes the hammering drum beats, while Jonah Weingarten sets the mood, from the beginning, with a stirring instrumental intro to the album. "Consuming The Mana" hits you right in the face with a tale of ancient Hawaiian warrior culture. "The Alien" follows, with a technical mix of harmonies and riffs, telling the story of the emergence of humanity's most powerful champion. "Unworthy" darkens the mood and sets the perfect background, as someone battles his inner demons from being unleashed on the world. "Soul Searcher" with it's haunting acoustic sound, conveys the loss of the betrayed storyteller. "Sun Dragon" picks up the pace, while it narrates the path of an Earth-destroying phenomenon. "Transcending" builds to a powerful, hammering attack, exemplifying the unrelenting fight so many are forced to endure. "Let All Despair", "In The Darkness", and "Spirit Of Man" are a trilogy in which the "Well of Souls" holds the power to keep Earth from dying. The three songs start from a slow build to a driving, pumping anthem and then to a melancholic ending where the survival of Earth is still in question. "Time Traveler" is a straight-forward, power metal, sci-fi journey through future generations. "The God of War" is the heavy closer that lives up to it's name. The bonus track "You Know My Name" is a salute to the late Chris Cornell. As huge fans of the James Bond movie franchise and Mr. Cornell, both Matt and Freddie agreed that their favorite theme song from "Casino Royale" played perfectly into this tribute.

Line-Up:

Freddie Vidales - Guitars, Bass (2012-present) - See also: Sons of Liberty (live), ex-Infusion, ex-Iced Earth
Matt Barlow - Vocals (2012-present) - See also: ex-Cauldron, First State Force Band, We Are Sentinels, ex-Iced Earth, ex-Pyramaze

Tracklist:

01. Consuming The Mana
02. The Alien
03. Unworthy
04. Soul Searcher
05. Sun Dragon
06. Transcending
07. Let All Despair
08. In The Darkness
09. Spirit Of Man
10. Time Traveler
11. The God Of War
12. You Know My Name (Bonus Track)

+ Video "Let All Despair" (Official Video)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Ashes Of Ares - Emperors And Fools (Digipak Edition) (2022)













Year : 2022
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 143 mb

Bio:

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of founding members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales. Within months of their departure from the iconic metal band ICED EARTH, they came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, Ashes of Ares is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

Album:

Nine years after forming Ashes of Ares, Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales return with their third full-length album “Emperors and Fools”. This album sees the duo take the darkness and aggression from their previous album “Well of Souls” to a higher echelon. The writing process began almost immediately after “Well of Souls” was released. As usual, it was a true collaborative effort between the two, with ideas originating from one or the other, then evolving and being refined to what is presented on “Emperors and Fools.” The album flow is designed to keep the listeners on edge while bringing them from fast, heavy, pounding anthems to somber, melancholic, emotional pieces. The album ends with the eleven-minute long epic “Monster’s Lament” which features the long-imagined joining of forces between Matt Barlow and Tim Ripper Owens.

Line-Up:

Freddie Vidales - Guitars, Bass (2012-present) - See also: Sons of Liberty (live), ex-Infusion, ex-Iced Earth
Matt Barlow - Vocals (2012-present) - See also: ex-Cauldron, First State Force Band, We Are Sentinels, ex-Iced Earth, ex-Pyramaze

Tracklist:

01. A City in Decay (Intro)
02. I Am the Night
03. Our Last Sunrise
04. Primed
05. Where God Fears to Go
06. Emperors and Fools
07. By My Blade
08. What Tomorrow Will Bring
09. The Iron Throne
10. Gone
11. Throne of Iniquity
12. Monster’s Lament




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Ashes Of Ares - New Messiahs (Japan Edition) (2025)













Year : 2025 (Japan Edition)
Style : Progressive Power Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 143 mb

Bio:

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of founding members Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales. Within months of their departure from the iconic metal band ICED EARTH, they came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, Ashes of Ares is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

Album:

Japan edition with 2 bonus tracks ! Strangely, 'New Messiahs' is my first listening experience with Ashes Of Ares, I say strangely as I’ve been a big fan of Iced Earth in the past and the two main protagonists of Ashes Of Ares are legendary Iced Earth vocalist Matt Barlow (vocals and lyricist) and former Iced Earth bassist Freddie Vidales (here performing all guitars and bass parts, and also main musical composer) so they really should have been on my radar earlier. 'New Messiahs' is the bands fourth full length album since forming back in 2012, the 2013 self-titled, 'Well of Souls' 2020 and 'Emperors & Fools' 2022, and the lineup for 'New Messiahs'is completed b guest drummer Kyle Taylor, an old bandmate of Freddie from the defunct band Infusion.Starting with the epic instrumental intro; ‘Novus Ordo’ (New Order) sets the atmosphere with an epic soundscape of acoustic guitars, symphonic keys, intensifying drums and an ominous choir, the powerful title-track follows with driving rhythms and thrashing guitars, the chorus soon embedding itself into your brain with it’s catchy hooks. The band shows its versatility with the slower heavy galloping grooves of ‘Two Graves’ and the fast-paced chops of ‘Atrophy’. ‘Where you Go’ and ‘Keep on Walkin’ show that they are just as comfortable with slowing the pace down and going for a more power ballad like approach, the latter is especially epic and emotional as Matt sends a message to his children to carry on the with their own journey after he has passed away, powerful stuff both lyrically and musically.Other notable tracks are the thrashy guitar driven first single ‘Wake of Vultures’ with its interesting moral question: “are you one of the vultures or the prey they feed on”. ‘Lust to Feed’ has a cool arrangement with the juxtaposition of hypnotic slower parts with faster heavy sections, which work together exceptionally well. Finishing the vinyl version of the album is a real barnstormer; ‘From Hell He Rides’ a tribute to the old Marvel character ‘Ghost Rider’. The CD version of the album adds two bonus tracks, one a band original ‘Infection Deception’, a track that is just as strong as it’s fellow contenders but presumably got cut from the vinyl version due to time constraints, the other is an extremely interesting interpretation of an Elton John deep cut ‘…And the House Fell Down’ which admirably tackles substance addiction, and while it’s not quite to my own tastes, it’s well executed and a much more convincing choice than Flotsam and Jetsam’s rendition of ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’.The album was recorded by the band themselves in their own home studios, apart from the drums, and engineered and mastered by Byron Filson at Villain Recording in Phoenix, Arizona, and the overall sound is professional without being overly polished, it still has a grittiness to it that makes it sound ‘real’ rather than the overly sterile productions that have become the norm. The stunning cover artwork by Kamil Pietruczynik depicts a sinister futuristic cabal (or is futuristic just wishful thinking?) overlooking and controlling the world and aptly depicts the bleak current global outlook we are currently experiencing.Comparisons with Matt and Freddie’s past group are inevitable, and yes there are certain similarities to the aforementioned Iced Earth, but the guys (certainly with 'New Messiahs'), have worked hard to develop their own sound and in the main have mostly succeeded, this is less Power Metal and more Classic Metal mixed with some hefty doses of Thrash, OK they certainly aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but there are other influences in the mix that set Ashes Of Ares apart from past endeavours, and make them worthy of you attention. This is a very enjoyable album and if you’re an Iced Earth fan I can’t see why you wouldn’t appreciate it, especially if you’re a fan of Matt’s gravelly baritone, or if you’re just a fan of well written melodic metal, then this well worth checking out, in fact I’m off to check out the rest of their back catalogue right now.

Line-Up:

Freddie Vidales - Guitars, Bass (2012-present) - See also: Sons of Liberty (live), ex-Infusion, ex-Iced Earth
Matt Barlow - Vocals (2012-present) - See also: ex-Cauldron, First State Force Band, We Are Sentinels, ex-Iced Earth, ex-Pyramaze

Tracklist:

01. Novus Ordo 02:09 instrumental
02. New Messiahs 05:31
03. Two Graves 04:18
04. Where You Go 06:44
05. Wake of Vultures 04:17
06. Infection Deception 05:27 (Bonus Track)
07. Atrophy 04:41 Show lyrics
08. Keep On Walkin' 06:08
09. The Hawk and the Dove 05:17
10. Lust to Feed 04:53
11. From Hell He Rides 04:27
12. And the House Fell Down (Elton John cover) 04:46 (Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/