Chariots Of The Gods
Chariots of the Gods are described as a straight up, balls to the walls, in your face Heavy Metal band – which sounds pretty cool to me! Coming straight out of Ottawa in Canada, these guys have been playing live and spreading the good word about their music since 2008, and aren’t showing any signs of slowing down yet. Having performed with the likes of Misfits, Voivod and Blind Witness, these guys are certainly already a force to be reckoned with in their home country, so we thought we’d see if we could spread the word a little about them over this way. They sent us through a copy of Tides Of War to check out, so I hit play and prepared myself for what I was about to hear!
As Overture gets things in motion there’s a real sense of drama building, immediately luring us into listen harder to what’s coming up. Acting as an intro track to the album, this first moment here builds the anticipation, doesn’t give too much away and allows you to let the music begin to wash over you, pulling you in before getting things going properly with Seventh Weapon. As Seventh Weapon gets things going properly it’s clear that this is a band who mean business, kicking into being with a rolling double bass, a pummelling bassline and enough power to flatten a venue. The fast paced nature of this opening track gets things going as the band intend, immediately showing us that this is going to be one hell of a ride. Throwing a guitar solo into the mix to make sure we’re fully aware of the technical ability within the band, this opening moment of the album is quite simply a triumph, a moment which gets things in motion, but a moment which is going to stick with you for a long time after you’ve heard it.
Blind Assassin continues to push the boundaries of the album, this time opening with a hammering rhythm section to accompany more of those awesome vocals and guitar lines, the mix forming something which you know is going to get live crowds whipped into a frenzy. Despite the all out hammering approach the guys have managed to throw an element of melody into things as well, keeping the mix accessible and the sort of thing which will appeal to fans of really heavy, as well as those who are just dipping their toe in to see if they like it – this is music designed to convert the world to metal, and I like it. Ambrosian Wings marks a slight change in the tone of things, this time adopting a more NWOBHM tone and galloping into being. There’s something about this track which shows where the band have come from, how their sound has developed, and where it’s beginning to go in the future. I love the combination of differing guitar lines with rolling bass rhythms, it’s the sort of thing which gives a track that classic feel whilst still managing to sound fresh and new. Add in a guitar solo of epic proportions and we’ve got another winner on our hands, once again showing why we should be listening to these guys.
As the album progresses we’re treated to track after track of all out metal, from Tides Of War to Revillusion (1905) before calming things down a little for Snow Falls On The White River (1914). The stark contrast of going from all out metal to a slow and plinky plonky track is something which allows a moment of rest, a moment to reflect on what you’ve heard so far and take it all in, before returning to the all out approach of Severing The Bloodline (1917), once again picking up the pace to continue the progression of the album. Collapse Of An Empire and Red Skies both continue to hammer out pure heaviness before Nebula comes about as another break, leading us into Starborn to remind us why we started listening to this album in the first place. Starborn is the highlight of the album for me, there’s just something about the track which harks to the likes of Dark Tranquillity as well as more in your face thrash style bands. Once again presenting us with the sort of track which is sure to get pits moving, people involved, and venues being reduced to nothing but dust, this is a classic track just waiting to be noticed, and one which I would highly advise you get on and check out for yourself.
Unbound (ft. Aleksi Sihvonen) once again presents us with a solid reason why we need to be listening to Chariots Of The Gods, hammering into a track fuelled by pure distortion, the sort of thing which can only be played on one volume setting – LOUD! Combining different levels of vocals throughout in order to fully develop the sound on offer, this track once again combines all of the technical ability within the band with an overwhelming sense of power and destruction, the sort of thing which is going to sound awesome live, but equally as powerful here on the record. It’s only then left to Annihilation of the Gods to close the album, finishing with another accomplished piece of song writing which shows off the true style of the band. Intricate guitar lines combine with rolling drums and a real sense of drama, finishing the record on a crescendo of power, distortion, and in your face metal stylings. Spitting the vocals throughout, this fast paced close to the record does what it should, leaves you wanting more but knowing that what you just heard was one hell of a ride.
When bands come in I tend to read up on what to expect, but in the case of Chariots Of The Gods I think they sold themselves short. I wasn’t expecting to hear an album this accomplished, this powerful, or this heavy, yet here it is sounding as awesome as it does, and showing that Ottawa seems to be the new centre for metal! Chariots Of The Gods aren’t just a band you should be checking out, they’re a band you need to hear, a band you’re going to want to hear more from, and a band we need to get over here on tour.
To find out more about Chariots Of The Gods, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls.
As Overture gets things in motion there’s a real sense of drama building, immediately luring us into listen harder to what’s coming up. Acting as an intro track to the album, this first moment here builds the anticipation, doesn’t give too much away and allows you to let the music begin to wash over you, pulling you in before getting things going properly with Seventh Weapon. As Seventh Weapon gets things going properly it’s clear that this is a band who mean business, kicking into being with a rolling double bass, a pummelling bassline and enough power to flatten a venue. The fast paced nature of this opening track gets things going as the band intend, immediately showing us that this is going to be one hell of a ride. Throwing a guitar solo into the mix to make sure we’re fully aware of the technical ability within the band, this opening moment of the album is quite simply a triumph, a moment which gets things in motion, but a moment which is going to stick with you for a long time after you’ve heard it.
Blind Assassin continues to push the boundaries of the album, this time opening with a hammering rhythm section to accompany more of those awesome vocals and guitar lines, the mix forming something which you know is going to get live crowds whipped into a frenzy. Despite the all out hammering approach the guys have managed to throw an element of melody into things as well, keeping the mix accessible and the sort of thing which will appeal to fans of really heavy, as well as those who are just dipping their toe in to see if they like it – this is music designed to convert the world to metal, and I like it. Ambrosian Wings marks a slight change in the tone of things, this time adopting a more NWOBHM tone and galloping into being. There’s something about this track which shows where the band have come from, how their sound has developed, and where it’s beginning to go in the future. I love the combination of differing guitar lines with rolling bass rhythms, it’s the sort of thing which gives a track that classic feel whilst still managing to sound fresh and new. Add in a guitar solo of epic proportions and we’ve got another winner on our hands, once again showing why we should be listening to these guys.
As the album progresses we’re treated to track after track of all out metal, from Tides Of War to Revillusion (1905) before calming things down a little for Snow Falls On The White River (1914). The stark contrast of going from all out metal to a slow and plinky plonky track is something which allows a moment of rest, a moment to reflect on what you’ve heard so far and take it all in, before returning to the all out approach of Severing The Bloodline (1917), once again picking up the pace to continue the progression of the album. Collapse Of An Empire and Red Skies both continue to hammer out pure heaviness before Nebula comes about as another break, leading us into Starborn to remind us why we started listening to this album in the first place. Starborn is the highlight of the album for me, there’s just something about the track which harks to the likes of Dark Tranquillity as well as more in your face thrash style bands. Once again presenting us with the sort of track which is sure to get pits moving, people involved, and venues being reduced to nothing but dust, this is a classic track just waiting to be noticed, and one which I would highly advise you get on and check out for yourself.
Unbound (ft. Aleksi Sihvonen) once again presents us with a solid reason why we need to be listening to Chariots Of The Gods, hammering into a track fuelled by pure distortion, the sort of thing which can only be played on one volume setting – LOUD! Combining different levels of vocals throughout in order to fully develop the sound on offer, this track once again combines all of the technical ability within the band with an overwhelming sense of power and destruction, the sort of thing which is going to sound awesome live, but equally as powerful here on the record. It’s only then left to Annihilation of the Gods to close the album, finishing with another accomplished piece of song writing which shows off the true style of the band. Intricate guitar lines combine with rolling drums and a real sense of drama, finishing the record on a crescendo of power, distortion, and in your face metal stylings. Spitting the vocals throughout, this fast paced close to the record does what it should, leaves you wanting more but knowing that what you just heard was one hell of a ride.
When bands come in I tend to read up on what to expect, but in the case of Chariots Of The Gods I think they sold themselves short. I wasn’t expecting to hear an album this accomplished, this powerful, or this heavy, yet here it is sounding as awesome as it does, and showing that Ottawa seems to be the new centre for metal! Chariots Of The Gods aren’t just a band you should be checking out, they’re a band you need to hear, a band you’re going to want to hear more from, and a band we need to get over here on tour.
To find out more about Chariots Of The Gods, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls.