I must admit that I was excited about this album. Machine Head had were already firm favourites in the bands that I enjoyed listening too and I had already heard good things about this album. So, here is a short but hopefully enlightening review of the album.
What is good about the album?
Well, there are plenty of good tracks on offer here to start off with and the overall production of the album is fantastic. There are definitely some standout tracks here that are worth a mention; Imperium, Bite The Bullet, In The Presence Of My Enemies, Days Turn Blue To Gray and Descend The Shades Of Night. Rob Flynn and Phil Demmel make an excellent guitar duo and both contribute some highly exquisite riffs and some pretty good solos. The most notable of the aforementioned tracks is probably Descend The Shades Of Night, definitely a softer ytrack from a band which usually rely on making your ears bleed. It boasts acoustic guitars and a really good solo. The singing is also top-notch and overall is quite a moving song. Other notable features on this album is the fifth track, In The Presence Of My Enemies. The solo is so catchy and even though it is not really technical, it is great fun to learn on guitar. Also, there is the masterpiece Imperium which is fast, technical, brutal and every other good adjective you could think of.
What is not so good about the album?
Well, as with almost every album, there some letdowns. Firstly, there are some weak tracks on the album. But, then again, it is probably a matter of opinion and no track would score less than 4/5 if rated. Also, some tracks are in desperate need of some sort of interlude to break them up or they can become slightly boring or they could benefit from a solo. The backing vocals also get on my nerves sometimes but again that is probably a matter of opinion and in most cases people will probably like them. The length of the songs may be a problem for people with Attention Deficit Disorder and occassionally you do wish some of them were shortened.
Why buy?
Well, put simply, Through The Ashes Of Empires is a metal classic and a noteworthy addition to your collection. The guitars are good, the production good, the singing is good and there are also a lot of other great aspects which I can't be bothered to type. This is definitely good value for money too. You get 10 tracks totalling over an hour long and the limited edition CD comes with the video to 'The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears' and a second CD with some interesting demos.
Track Ratings
Imperium 5/5
Bite The Bullet 5/5
Left Unfinished 4/5
Elegy 4.5/5
In The Presence Of My Enemies 5/5
Days Turn Blue To Gray 5/5
Vim 4/5
All Fall Down 4/5
Wipe The Tears 4/5
Descend The Shades Of Night 5/5
Hope you found the review helpful.
