Chaosmongers Alive

Let it be known that I adore Ares Kingdom. Blackened Thrash with vocals reflecting that of Order From Chaos. (Chuck and Mike's past band) Though the band is more black than thrash. This EP is short. Only a little over twleve minutes, so obviously it leaves you itching for more. It's like a twleve minute pound to the head and once it's over you sit and think "What the hell was that?". You then play the damn thing again.

Lamentations - My favorite song on the EP. Excellent drumming on this track. It's furious and primitive. Leaning more towards a combination of crashes and bass than the common one beat usually found in blackened songs. The vocals are gruff. Death related to a certain extent. Truly a masterful vocalist. The production is perfect. The solo trailing near the end of the song is a solid thrash riff with a blackened touch at the beginning.

Solis Lacus - Chuck originally wrote this song for Quorthon of Bathory in 1996. Quorthon declined respectfully stating that the lyrics didn't sound like anything he would write. Chuck later used those lyrics for the songs "Solis Lacus" and "The Undying Fire" off the Ares Kingdom demo in 1997. They then re-released "Solid Lacus" on this EP. The song opens with a catchy little riff with spoken muffled lyrics. The vocals are more blackened than "Lamentations". Actually, the song in general leans more towards black metal than Ares Kingdom's thrash side. There's another solid thrashy solo halfway through the song, though. The song begins to slow down while fading into an awesome riff that I wish they would've used before it was the end of the song.

Of Death and Dying - The drums recess into classic black drumming. Repetitive and sometimes monotious. Luckily, the song is short and furious, so you don't have time to become bored with it. This song is just meant to be slammed at you and be over before you know it. Reflecting most of what the album is meant to be. Relentless and primitive.

Buy this awesomeness. Don't be stupid.