Return to Dust

Now I am going to remind you one hell of a lot underrated US band – Ares Kingdom! Someone would assume they have all what’s necessary to be more popular, being a successor to the cult of Order From Chaos. But Order From Chaos was never really a mainstream band, but an entity known only to the diehard maniacs of death metal cult, so maybe this why their name didn’t bring more attention to Ares Kingdom. Besides, it took ten years before Chuck Keller and Mike Muller released this album, so people probably forgot about them… but for me it is a lame explanation and I just think Ares Kingdom deserves more attention than they already received. This review won’t change much, but maybe it will introduce this band to some people out there? Who knows… I already reviewed “Incendiary” album, which is my personal favourite in Ares Kingdom discography, now it’s time to describe the debut LP!

When I listen to “Return to Dust” I feel that this LP must have been just exceptional at the time of its release. Why? It’s like swimming against the tide, I think – everybody around tried to play as brutal, as technical and as fast as possible, to the point of nonsense and meanwhile Ares Kingdom came up with an album, which was old school to the bone, where the riffs actually have some meaning and are not just to provide unreadable background for blasting drums and piggy vocals. “Return to Dust” is completely different in that manner; it contains classic metal riffs (based very much on the traditional heavy, speed and death metal… archaic maybe it is, but who cares!), with clearly selected verse and chorus parts, but also with some longer instrumental passages influenced by the classic metal masterpieces… and there’s also this wonderfully organic, warm production – it just sounds like a band playing live, which is not so normal anymore! Yeah, in songs like “A Dream of Armageddon” the heavy metal influence is so clear that only deaf won’t catch them. Obviously it also means that you should not seek for a sheer brutality, death metal violence and obscurity from Ares Kingdom, as “Return to Dust” is just not like that. Obviously it is still damn aggressive album, listen to such “Failsafe”, which probably is the most uncompromising track on the album and tell me if it didn’t force you to bang the head hehehe! It’s just different kind of extreme. But on the other hand such song as “A Dream of Armageddon” is just something completely different; it is kind of epic, you know? It’s almost nine minutes long, slow to mid paced, traditional heavy / death – however that sounds to you hehe – metal song, but listen to some of these riffs, patters, guitar leads…

“Ironclad” is also such song, so it is more lengthy and epic, but I must also mention “Firestorm Redemption” for its aggressive, thrashing riffing. I love that song and it probably is my favourite piece from the whole LP. I don’t maybe understand what was the purpose to include two instrumental pieces one after another close to the end of the album, but that is not something what would really bother me (especially as the riffing in “None Escape” is truly killer!!!!!). And hmm… I sometimes have a small resemblance to Destroyer 666, so if you like these Aussie maniacs, then you know what to expect here, but maybe in more traditional form! But maybe even more I have some resemblances to Pentacle from such LP as “Rides of the Moonstorm” – all in all this is some excellent metal!

I often notice that people tend to compare Ares Kingdom to Order From Chaos, but I won’t do that. I would rather treat them as two separate entities – just like I consider Angel Corpse as separate band from Order From Chaos. Sure, Chuck Keller probably has something like his original, trademark way of composing and guitar playing… but I am not such an expert to break the music into such small details, make mathematic formulas, etc. So, let’s skip all this shit. It must be said though that “Return to Dust” has been released ten years after Ares Kingdom was formed and since Order From Chaos split up, so it is obvious that many things have changes and there are many dissimilarities between both acts. I see Ares Kingdom as a band, which is more traditional, almost archaic, speaking of their style, which combines death, thrash and heavy metal. And as such “Return to Dust” is just great album, but not my favourite in their discography, as the second LP “Incendiary” is even better. So, I just must recommend you Ares Kingdom… to all of you, die hard metal maniacs; if you still don’t know this band then fix this mistake quickly.

Standout tracks: “Firestorm Redemption”, “A Dream of Armageddon”, “Failsafe”
Final rate: 79/100

Ares Kingdom resides from Kansas City, Missouri and kicks ass with their debut of intense death/thrash. I know what you are thinking when you hear death thrash, something in the vein of Vader, the lovable Gojira, or any of the new polished stuff, but this is completely different and similar to the late 80s early 90s death/thrash slowed down(at times) and better production. It has loads of mid-paced thrash riffs that chug along moving to doomier parts or more aggressive parts, and using gaseous vocal onslaught of Alex Blume to keep moving. The vocals, which are my favourite style, deep, gaseous, and lenghty, are used perfectly to accentuate the riffing. This release will keep you head banging all the way through, and a closer inspection shows the great lead work, specially over top of the main riffs; however, I'm not talking about leads like Pagan Altar, but more of switching the style the riff is played and the sound, similar to what heavy metal bands do(Fear Itself is a good example of this). After a good chunk of riffs are thrown at you, a solo, which in gives me chills most of the time, rips through the riff. To get another perspective to this, think of a rope as being a riff, and then the solo being the strands of the rope as you gradually unwind it, then weaving it perfectly back together(Dream of Armageddon and Ironclad do this very well). The drumming on this album is obviously fed from the riffs; moreover they do not use the typical thrash beat, but they do accomplish the same goal to let the guitars take over. From start to finish the album throws riffs at you, never becoming tedious or making you think you’ve heard it many times before; moreover, this is one of the better releases in 2006, and it will get many more plays from me.

Death metal is a 'mood' genre for me, and I don't find myself listening to it constantly. Oh, I've heard most of the 'staple' bands so far, and enjoyed them, but I always wanted something more out of death metal than I got. This band is quite possibly it---snappy, riffy songwriting, mindblowing solos that don't go overboard into technical nonsense, and production that is loud and heavy. Ares Kingdom are simplistic without being boring and brutal without being inane and pointless. These guys are amazing songwriters, and this album is certainly a must for death metal fans.

This is so far ahead of the breakdown-infested shit we get today. It's so far ahead of the overblown technical wanking that bands like Psycroptic and Necrophagist descend into, and so far ahead of the mindless blastbeat filled grind crapola that it's not even funny. Ares Kingdom bring back memories of the old days, combining the classic late 80s death sound with thrash elements and even some faint black metal elements here and there, plus an unstoppable sense of melody. These guys know how to write songs. The vocals sound a lot like a more aggressive John Tardy, and while they take some getting used to, they do the job. The riffs are big, fat, and raw, and they'll make your head flail. The solos are clean and almost sound neoclassical at some parts, and they just rule. Seriously, I love when they just leap into this fucking crazy guitar solo (just pick a song) and rip your head off without warning. The bass is thick and crunchy, and the drums are a bit hollow, but they work, completing the 'raw' sound this album holds so proudly.

The album immediately pulls you in with a wild, looping lead guitar run to kick off "Firestorm Redemption", the opening track. The vocals come in, harsh, rasping, and low, and then you're hit by a 5 minute tour de force of raw, heavy riffs, and your eyes are knocked flat out of your skull, until the opening lead guitar run is repeated to end the song. These guys mean business. And that was only an appetizer compared to the feast of destruction the next track brings. "A Dream of Armageddon" is a slow, searing 8 minute epic with what are probably the best guitar solos (another one popped up right as I was writing that sentence) I've ever heard in a death metal song, alongside more of the sick, heavy, and distorted riffage we all love from this band. There's also a really cool slow part at the beginning, too, with pounding, almost doomish riffage and chord play, reminding me of a grandfather clock chiming to celebrate the new hour (but played on a distorted guitar). Ares Kingdom's sense of melody is not something to doubt.

There aren't any more standout tracks after that (what on Earth could ever top "A Dream of Armageddon" anyway?), but all of them are insanely fun and headbangable, not to mention the great lyrics that have been written for them. "Ironclad" does stand out as noticably cool, though, a 7 minute epic with some great acoustic guitar around the three minute mark. There are no weak tracks or outliers at all, and it all flows as one gargantuan wave of massive destruction that death heads needed yesterday. It's head and shoulders above most of the gutter-trash drifting around today, and definetly better then the 'technical death' trend that swept the scene a while back. Ares Kingdom have created a fucking ace album, and I hope they keep going strong. Highly, highly recommended.

This is the first full-length album from Ares Kingdom, an American band
featuring members of Order From Chaos and Vulpecula. They play thrashy
death/black metal.

The sound on this album is ideal. There's a touch of distortion on the
guitars, which adds a perfect amount of roughness to the sound. The
drums have lots of impact, the bass is just loud enough, and the vocals
are way up front, a choice that makes them surprisingly easy to understand.

In terms of style, this band sounds a bit like Order From Chaos,
but the songwriting here is even more epic and involved. The mix of
aggressive and introspective moments reminds me of early Destroyer 666, as
do the inspiring lyrics, but Ares Kingdom conjure up a different sort of
atmosphere. Between the chaotic riffs and meticulous song structure,
it's as if the band is constantly treading on the line between order and
disorder.

"Firestorm Redemption" is a perfect example. This song is highly
structured, with recurring lyrical and guitar themes, but the lead guitar
parts run wild! As the lyrics become more and more evocative of fire,
the song becomes more unpredictable. The marriage between words and
music on this song is really impressive.

"A Dream of Armageddon" slows things down a bit. This is the album's
epic, with plenty of stately, powerful riffs. The drums and bass get a
big workout, as well. This song is a lot of fun to sing along with,
largely due to the excellent vocal delivery during the chorus. I dare
you to sit still after the song speeds up near the end!

The beginning and end of "Failsafe" are about the thrashiest things on
the album. This is a short, mostly quick-tempo song, but it's still
overflowing with riff changes, atmospheric parts, and neat
solos.

"Fear Itself" starts out with an extended instrumental section. It
sounds almost as if the band is racing itself. The bass line right after
the vocals first come in is killer! After a brief false ending, the song
begins in earnest. The guitars and bass on this song seem intent on
bludgeoning the listening into submission.

The main riff on "Lamentations" is the best on the album -- it's just
insanely good. The hopeless yet triumphant atmosphere on this song is
tremendous! And just when you think it can't get any better, they bring
in ANOTHER heavy riff. The interplay between the rhythm and lead guitar
near the end is shiver-inducing.

"None Escape" is a powerful instrumental, with some inspiring melodic
solos. It leads into "Sins of the Father", a quiet guitar
interlude. Taken together, these songs make it clear that this band
understands HEAVY metal, not just death, black, and thrash.

The lyrics on "Ironclad" are just plain amazing. This is metal itself,
expressed in one proud statement of war. The chorus alone puts most
songwriters to shame! The music is equally good. There are tons of
changes on this song, each with its own quality riff, to the point where
"Ironclad" is stuffed with more than enough for two or three
songs. And the ending is so good they decided to come back and do it
over again!

Return to Dust is easily the best album so far this year. Ares Kingdom
is the perfect blend of everything that makes metal so damn
great, and this album is the pinnacle of their work so far. On top of
that, this CD costs $5 from the label. Five. Dollars. Why are you still
reading this? Go get it, and while you're at it, get the "Firestorm
Redemption" mini-LP -- it comes with two songs that aren't on the
album. Highest recommendations!

Standout tracks: "Firestorm Redemption", "Lamentations", "Ironclad"

Review by Vorfeed: http:/www.vorfeed.net