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Fireaxe > Food for the Gods > Reviews
Fireaxe - Food for the Gods

Epic Story, Okay Music - 90%

Vortiene, August 20th, 2021

Lets get this out of the way. There's no way I'd want to listen to this whole album over again. It's not an album you'll want to listen to over and over again for the amazing musicianship. The musicianship is good, and the vocals damn good for just a random amateur dude, but there's no way I could ever say this album is musically strong or musically interesting throughout. I'm giving this a 90 because it's rare to experience such a lengthy and interesting story like this in album form. Not because it sounds amazing or interesting throughout. This whole long-ass album exists solely to tell Brian Voth's epic tale of Gods in every era of humanity causing havoc among humanity. I'd say almost 70 or 80 percent of the album exists in service of telling this whole endless massive story, rather than having particularly unique listenable individual tracks. If we wanted strong tracks only and no story tracks, you could trim this album down to maybe 8 tracks. That's not to say the music heard throughout this album is bad, it simply doesn't make a huge effort to create many big, wonderful, unique-sounding tracks. So to be clear, you probably won't ever listen to this album in full again after doing it once.

But damn. This album was an experience to sit through. It's separated into various "story arcs" that are about 15 minutes long and tell about a different part in history, starting in ancient history and reaching far into the future by the end. Get those lyrics in front of your face, and listen to the tale Brian Voth tells. The tale of Ishtar and Marduk fighting while their warriors crumple in the dust. The tale of Pharaoh Akhenaten and his quest to unite Egypt under one god Aten instead of many, only to suffer and ultimately be rejected by his people after his death. The story of god coming to Abraham, and blessing his son Joshua to win many battles against those god rejected, only for Joshua to be rejected by his descendants. The tale of Jesus and his rejection by the people who seemed to worship him for most of his life. The tale of the rise of Christianity and the many religious wars against the Turks, and how this repeated for years and years with different enemies for the exact same reasons. No matter where Brian takes us in history, we see Gods causing hate and strife among humanity, and that's the picture this album presents. As we hit the end of disc 2, we're looking to the future, in a sort of 1984-esque collective consciousness being instilled on humanity to force people to have specific views. At the start of disc 3, we see someone who has the courage to disconnect from this collective consciousness and witnessing the dystopia humanity has become. They decide to unleash nuclear armageddon on the world to cleanse it from this abomination. But Brian doesn't end there. We're going biblical now. Hell is now so full of those the gods rejected that it's bursting at the seams, and that's just what it does. Humanity and hell's demons raid heaven, destroy all the angels, and the last human tells god to choke on his corpse before god destroys the entire universe in anger, wishing to begin anew.

Wonderful stuff. My synopsis isn't nearly as great as the album's story and probably incorrect in some ways. But this is an adventurous story, as much an audiobook as a musical experience to be honest. Many tracks only exist to continue the story, and don't have many interesting musical ideas. Funnily enough, we have 3 tracks in a sequence that are extremely similar, part of the Them arc. The point of this story arc was to illustrate just how many religious crusades happened for similar reasons and simply happened again for similar reasons in the future again. I thought that was amusing, and the central riff is pretty nice, so it's not bad. The pace of most of the tracks can be described as "Plodding", so those who don't enjoy an almost-constant midpace may get bored. A bit of energy injected into the album would have made this closer to something that was both amazing lyrically and amazing musically. However we're stuck with amazing lyrically and decent musically.

The best part of the music itself would be the vocal work of Brian Voth, who does some very interesting things on the album. You can hear from the very start of the album he does a sort of "Hindu traditional vocals" flourish with the singing. This flourish really only shows up on the first track but there are similarly interesting vocal efforts on many other places on the album. For a normal-sounding dude he does hit high notes pretty well and tracks like Chariot where he soars actually sound quite nice. In places I was reminded of Virgin Steele due to the religious themes and the weird vocal flourishes. Dave Defeis this guy ain't, but you get what I'm saying.

Now let me get to what I consider the most "Listenable for purely listening to music purposes" songs on this album. You'd probably get enough songs for 1 normal-length album out of this massive album if you're looking for individually listenable tracks. I'd say Chariot, Failures of the Fathers, and the last 3 songs on the third disc The Sum of All Fears The Rape of Heaven, and Cold and Dark Infinity are the most enjoyable overall. So if you don't care for storylines or aren't interested in the premise of this album, give those ones a try.

As for the message of the album and the idea of gods manipulating humanity into constant war and hate, I'd say it's more humanity's inherent tribalistic tendencies that gave rise to different religions, and the rejection of those who are different that is inherent to humanity due to this tribalism that causes wars and hate, not necessarily the gods humanity came up with. But nonetheless, the storyline of this album was fascinating to me. It was a bit of a chore to get through many of the tracks, but I was very interested in where the story would go, especially when I read the grim names of the final tracks on disc 3, haha.

So if you do listen to this album, know that you should be doing so if you're interested in reading and hearing this story told in a genuine and heartfelt manner, not to hear tracks you can listen to on shuffle over and over to jam out. That would be Chariot and not too much else on here.

“You may have suffered for the sins of man, but I have suffered for the sins of God.” - what a powerful moment that was!

The Lowest A+ I'll Ever Give - 68%

xenon8247, September 24th, 2019
Written based on this version: 2003, 3CD, Independent (CD-R)

It genuinely breaks my heart to give something so genuine and authentic a less-than-favorable score in a review. Every minute that I spent listening to "Food For the Gods" gave me the overwhelming impression that it was a labor of love, and that Brian Voth poured every ounce of his soul into making this monstrous album. Though this album lacks heart in no amounts, it ultimately falls short in some of the more basic respects that are unfortunately too obvious to ignore.

First, let's address the most initially jarring aspect of this juggernaut: the length. Clocking in at almost 4 hours, "Food For the Gods" is by far the longest album I've ever sat through. The album consists of a handful of more easily digestible sections, much as books are divided into chapters for organization and thematic navigation. This makes sense as "Food for the Gods" is primarily narrative-driven and, unlike more progressively inclined bands that break apart long pieces of music by changes in tempo and instrumentation, is sectioned off mostly based on adherence to lyrical themes. Despite the length, this doesn't feel like a chore to listen to and manages to be quite captivating throughout. The storytelling in this album is fascinating and by far its greatest strength. Brian Voth does a fantastic job spinning a captivating narrative similar to an Iron Maiden epic, albeit of course one that is much, much longer. It's a tale of war, power, love, malice, betrayal, beauty, and a multitude of other concepts expertly woven together to create a compelling and immersive experience. This is one that failed to tire me out or bore me in any way, which is something I can't really say about many lyric-driven concept albums. It is especially admirable considering how fucking absurdly long it is and how little variety in style there is throughout the release. Usually to be captivated by something of above-average length I require great amounts of musical diversity, which is why I'd much rather sit through a 30 minute progressive metal song than a 7 minute drone song. This makes "Food for the Gods" all the more impressive in the respect of songwriting and storytelling, as it's mostly stylistically homogeneous but managed to keep my attention throughout.

In terms of musical elements, this album is very well-composed. It is not an album, contrary to the basis of heavy and power metal, that revolves around riffs, rather opting for a more chord based style that I feel fits the tone of the album. This is complimented well by Voth's affinity for harmonic liturgical sequences that benefit the archaic feeling of the album well. This album does a tremendous job of setting an atmosphere of mystery and ancient wonder, helped greatly by his choice in style. Heavy/power metal fits this album extremely well, and I think a similarly executed album in thrash, death, or black metal styles would've robbed it of its charm. There are surprisingly prominent doom metal elements that also surface frequently, which slows the album down a great deal. For the most part this crawling pace gives an effective feeling of malice and grit. The downtuned guitars are admittedly a bit excessive, having more in common with Wormphlegm than Manowar. However I think that this does complement the doom metal elements of this album well, making the heavier and sludgier parts sound more convincing.

Brian Voth's musicianship in this album is quite good. I find him to be an exceptional soloist, making some really fantastic choices particularly in "The Heretic Pharaoh". His solos fit the music very well, never overpowering the atmosphere or themes of the albums with excess speed or flair. He clearly understand how improv works and his well-constructed solo sequences do wonders for this album. I could always use a little more emotion and power in the solos but they are certainly not deficient in these regards. Other than the solos, very little focus is put on the individual instruments which is a bizarre choice to make for a metal album but a welcome one nonetheless. It is certainly a fitting accompaniment to such a lyrically-focused album and it makes sense as an artistic choice.

However, the properties of the instruments in this album is really where it falls short. Perhaps the most bizarre and off-putting aspect of "Food for the Gods" is its production. The tone of the guitar is completely out of place for an epic heavy/power metal album and throughout the whole listening experience I couldn't shake the feeling that I was listening to something much more low-effort. The tinny, underproduced tone stuck with me in a negative way long after the album had finished and at the end of the day I think it's one of the things that really distracted me from the great songwriting and storytelling. Though I can appreciate that this album was obviously made on a very low budget, it really shows in the quality of the sound and I couldn't ignore how haphazardly everything was constructed in that regard. The drums, obviously programmed, did not at all complement the equally jarring guitar tone in the slightest. The bass sounded alright when I could hear it but that was a fairly rare commodity as we will discuss later. The vocals were, appropriately, the most well-produced aspect of the album and were at times quite enjoyable to listen to. However, this too turned out to be another achilles heel of the album due to the unfortunate reality that Brian Voth seems to be fairly unable to keep a steady pitch without going flat or sharp. For instance, in "A New World Order", an otherwise great song, the vocals are very clearly out of tune, constantly fluctuating over and under pitches in a very noticeable way. This is a consistent problem throughout the album. Additionally, Voth's voice lacks the strength and bravado that I'd really like to hear from an American power metal album, and the steadiness and consistency that I expect from heavy metal vocalists. On the contrary, at times I found his voice to be grating and whiny, especially in the first 20 seconds of the album. It seemed that he was constantly fading in and out of the mix, often completely lacking the confidence and charisma that the subject matter and musical nature of this album really needed. It is not only that these flaws were so blatant but that they were present throughout the entire journey, making it consistently harder to focus on the great things that were happening simultaneously. However to Voth's credit he does have an incredible range and often surprises me with the versatility of his voice.

Despite the consistency and depth of these flaws, I found them to be nothing more than a massive distraction and at its heart "Food for the Gods" is a stunning display of powerful and intentional songwriting. The ideas present in this album are absolutely top-notch. The songwriting and musicianship are incredible and without a doubt this album DESERVES to be revisited. A little bit of money behind this masterpiece would remove virtually all the problems I had with it, and I have no doubt a producer behind this would yield something truly legendary. Until then we are stuck with this, and for what it's worth despite its glaring flaws I greatly enjoyed making this journey and I can't recommend it enough to anyone with a little bit of patience and a hell of a lot of free time.

Heed the Words of Brian Voth, Mortals! - 100%

Khull, December 16th, 2008

Four hours, three disks, and one hell of an epic ride. This is Brian Voth's, or Fireaxe's, Food for the Gods. Spanning the entire length of human history, this album embarks on a religious journey of astronomical proportions, and it does a damn fine job. This story details human interactions with the divine, subtly showing the ironies, contradictions, and flaws that emerge in every godlike figure since the beginning of time. While I would love to explain in detail the story told by Voth in this album, spoilers are very possible, and that would take away half of the enjoyment! Instead, it's all about the music, and why you should take the time to download this album. Oh, right, Food for the Gods, as well as the entire Fireaxe discography, is available for free on his site. Awesome, isn't it?

You're probably wondering if an album this massive can really hold your attention for all four hours. The short answer is yes; through a combination of Voth's instrumental and composition prowess the album more than holds up. Indeed, the possibility of being riveted to your listening area, enthralled by the music and craving the tale's conclusion, is very real.

A common trend between tracks is the tendency for the end of one act as the beginning to another. Each chapter in Food for the Gods might as well be one long song, for it's extremely hard to tell when one ends and the other begins. While this is an awesome feature the first time around, if you're one of those folks who prefer to put your music on shuffle it can get mildly frustrating, especially because this switch happens in the middle of awesome solos or epic verses.

Brian Voth's vocal style is primarily that of traditional heavy metal, though he frequently can be heard simply speaking, such as The Servant of Pain II – Malediction. On this song he isn't technically singing, but rather preaching, and damn is it convincing. One possible turn off (it was for me) is the pitch he reaches with some of his wailing. The opening track, Gods of War I - The Wrath of Silence, showcases this possible problem best. If the wailing present here turns you off, my advice is to bear with it, as this is the worst it will get, and it'll grow on you by the end of the first CD, guaranteed.

Guitars are everywhere, driving each song full throttle, and they kick ass. Riffing and shredding are abundant, especially on the first CD. The Servant of Pain I - Food for the Gods, and Gods of War IV – Chariot, feature the best guitar work on it, and possibly the entire album. Solos play a large part also, and are present on nearly every track that isn't a ballad. Don't fret, they're just long enough to get your blood pumping, and to bridge together songs, but definitely not overstaying their welcome.

Unlike other solo projects, drumming here isn't programmed. Voth uses his drums exceptionally well; more than a pace setter, instead driving each track forward. I especially enjoyed the abundance of snares and symbols as opposed to repetitively, constantly using bass drums. Each hit is methodical and has purpose throughout each song.

Ultimately, there's no reason not to get Food for the Gods. It's legitimately free, amazing, epic, and headbangable. This beast of an album weaves a simply brilliant tale filled with truths about all religions. It's one that makes you think, and one that's sure to stay on the playlist, or in the CD player, for a long time. Standout tracks include Gods of War IV – Chariot, The Flame Extinguished V - The Rape of Heaven, and The Servant of Pain III - The Citadel Must Fall,

I'd like to close this review with a quote from the Fireaxe website, and the track The Servant of Pain I - Food for the Gods:

"We are enslaved to a world in flames.
We tremble in fear and kill in their names.
We bow to their will as they promise us glory.
We go to our graves lifting them up to the sky.
We are food for the gods."

This is musical perfection - 100%

WallsofJericho, May 18th, 2008

To put it simply, this is a master piece.

This album is 3 cds, close to 4 hours of amazing story telling and great musicianship.

The album focuses on tales about how the gods influence how the world is shaped and the decisions that people make to appease the gods. Each set of these songs stands alone on its own, but when put together they tell a mind blowing tale that had me on the edge of my seat, music has never entertained me in such away, I was listening to this album in awe and anticipation of the ending. The ending is truly amazing and I won’t spoil it for you, but, it works so well simply because the fantasy seems based in reality. What that means is you actually think these events could happen, which makes it a truly disturbing album.

The vocals on the album are a thing of beauty; to think that this is one man doing all of these vocals and characters speaks volume to his talent. Brian hits all of the high notes well enough and really captures the emotion state of his characters with his delivery. The vocals really shine through when Brian goes acapella in a few sections, such as the beginning of the Failures of the Fathers.

The bass and drums both do their job well enough and shine in certain parts, which says a lot for Brian’s composing considering he uses a drum machine.

There are many memorable riffs which can find themselves being repeated in a different melody at different point of the album. The riffs mostly remind me of a classic Judas Priest thrashed up a bit. The leads are great at showing the emotion of the situation, the pure evilness portrayed in the intro the Welcome to My Realm really helps to set up the journey into hell. Brian also uses his leads and riffs to show the sadness of the Egyptian Pharaoh in Nefertiti.

Food for the Gods is not just one of the best metal releases, it’s one of the best musical releases period, which I would recommend to anyone to show them the power of this genre.

If you haven’t checked this out, drop everything and do it, you will be better for it.