Review Summary: It has guitars.
Ardent Nova’s debut album boldly goes where Amon Amarth have gone before, which is cool. Familiar melodies arise and speedy shredding as well. Melodic death metal is the genre, though black metal is not far off the beaten path. There’s manly, crunching metal with enough quick guitar picking to grow your beard hair. I say beard hair because the lead man’s growls are strong enough to suggest he is obsessed with beards. If you don’t get the picture you will soon, for this triumphant metal is powerful enough for storming Valhalla.
Fast shredding — big whoop, right? Turns out it’s exciting. Frenetic riffs are included, but the variety of said riffs amazes. It’s not amazing like “Check out this new fad!”, it’s exciting like “Wow, check out this new album!”. In other words, it’s an old sound of old school metal and old style riffs, but there are so many riffs to be had that I could care less if it’s an old sounding product. It brings the goods, and I knew that it would (like my favourite type of chips). Or more accurately, the feeling is similar to sinking in to my old recliner.
The notion that I’ve heard this type of album a thousand times before is troubling, but also I’m just old. History repeats itself and it can’t be helped. Nonetheless, this is 1000% a generic melo-death album, but with solid riffs. I also mentioned there’s a great growler included in the package. The album is perfect! Only joking, the production isn’t great, and sometimes the buzz of the guitar sounds like static. As much as I love the radio (I don’t), the production could be better.
Sadly, the album could’ve used a little extra nuance. All of the nuance is in the guitar, and aside from that the band gives me basic, generic vibes. Nothing wrong with that, though I wouldn’t say Ardent Nova are standing out much. Depending on the listener, this may be your next metal blast, just don’t expect originality up the wazoo.
