Band:	Chariots Of The Gods
Album:	Ages Unsung
Style:	Melodic death metal, Metalcore
Release date:	September 2016

01. Primordial Dawn
02. Tusk
03. Of Prometheus And The Sacred Flame
04. War Of The Gods
05. As The Sky Falls
06. Resurrection
07. Through Darkness And Decay
08. Into Oblivion
09. New World
10. Ages Unsung

Chariots Of The Gods made quite a statement with their 2013 debut LP, Tides Of War. We were granted a glimpse of highly atmospheric, expertly performed, metalcore-laden, guitar-driven melodic death metal, which launched the band in some impressive directions. In addition to several tours across Canada and myriad festivals, they became the first Canadian metal band to tour Cuba.

What made Chariots Of The Gods stand out previously was 1) their amazing guitarwork and 2) their ability to infuse great straightforward metal with substantial atmosphere. After some significant line-up changes (including a new drummer, rhythm guitarist, and vocalist) I'm happy to report that the amazing guitarwork is still very much present, though regarding point #2, the atmosphere is mostly gone. What we're left with is just... straightforward.

They've also shifted the balance between metalcore and melodic death metal to be pretty solidly metalcore. It's still the same band in many ways but song after song I nod my head and say, "yeah, this song is good," and rarely does it rise above that. Lead-off teaser single "Into Oblivion" (featuring Pascal Jobin of The Agonist) left me frantically anticipating this album even more than I already was, but after hearing the whole record, the other songs just do not live up to this one. It's clear that they know how to write a good tune. They just haven't avoided the pitfalls of becoming formulaic with their own music.

Nowhere is the music more formulaic than with the vocals. I said above that it's still the same band, but there's no denying that a change at the microphone can have a significant impact on the sound. Instead of featuring these top-notch extreme vocals exclusively, they now utilize clean singing in the mix as well. Thus, many songs follow the same path of extreme/singing/extreme/singing in a predictable fashion. Highlights such as "Into Oblivion" and "As The Sky Falls" utilize the vocal options very well, with the singing having a bit more char on it and thus being highly effective; other songs fall short with the singing becoming almost whiney, nasal, or otherwise just simply out of place (especially the painful ballad "Through Darkness And Decay" - if it weren't for the face-melting guitar solo in the latter half of this song I'd say to skip it entirely).

One thing beyond reproach is that guitarwork, including said excellent soloing. That's a real life-saver, so if you dig straightforward metalcore with killer shredding, don't sit around listening to my lamentations: listen to Ages Unsung instead. Now.

I have huge respect for this band and know they'll continue to grow. No doubt they will come back next time with something even better than their debut, utilizing more of that obvious potential and love for metal music.