Released By: Frontiers Records
Release Date: October 18th, 2024
Genre: Symphonic/Melodic Metal
Links: https://www.facebook.com/ariesdescendant/
Line Up:
Nicklas Sonne – Vocals, Guitars, Bass
Jonah Weingarten – Keyboards, Orchestration
Tracklist:
1. From the Ashes of Deceit
2. Aflame the Cold
3. Oblivion
4. Symphony of Demise
5. Moira
6. Downfall
7. Renewal of Hope
8. Mechanical Ascendance
9. Echoes of Betrayal
10. The Heart of the Forest (feat. Tina Guo)
Once in a while, there will be a new musical collaboration between members of bands you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see working together, but it somehow ends up working out nicely. The latest example of this is Aries Descendant, a melodic/symphonic metal collaboration between Pyramze keyboardist Jonah Weingarten and Defecto vocalist/guitarist Niklas Sonne (who also plays bass for this collaboration). I wasn’t sure what to expect from their debut album, From the Ashes of Deceit, except that it would likely be cinematic and feature a heavy focus on vocals and keyboards, and that is very much the case. It’s not an overly heavy album, nor is it one with particularly complicated songwriting, but for what it is, I’d say it’s an excellent debut, which fans of both members should be pleased with.
My previous experience with the duo mostly comes from Weingarten, as I’ve greatly enjoyed the past few Pyramaze albums, and his keys are obviously a major element of their music. I’m somewhat less familiar with Sonne, though I have heard him on a few Defecto singles, as well as the most recent album by melodic prog band Section A, so this isn’t my first time hearing his voice. I was curious to see whether From the Ashes of Deceit would lean closer towards anything I’ve heard by either man, or if it would be something entirely different. For the most part, I’d say it’s the latter. Obviously, the keys sound similar to Pyramaze, with a very moody, atmospheric flavor to them, but while that band’s music is occasionally orchestral and epic, I would say this album goes much further in that direction, focusing less on catchiness or distinct songwriting, and instead heavily focusing on a grand, epic feel, which lasts for the entire album. It’s a very keyboard driven album, unsurprisingly, with lots of slow, moody sections, as well tons of orchestral arrangements, and while it doesn’t sound too similar to most symphonic metal, I’d say it falls into that territory for the most part, just because of how epic it is, and how big of a presence the orchestral elements are throughout the album. Musically, I’d say the album is a mix of symphonic and melodic metal, due to the major focus on keys and vocal melodies.
Guitars are used a bit more sparingly, often there in the background, with some heavy riffs and epic solos used in short bursts, but most of the time guitars play more of a secondary role, providing rhythm along with the bass and drums. Keys and vocals are very much the main focus, with Weingarten putting on an excellent showcase, while Sonne’s vocals are also excellent. He has a deep, smooth and powerful voice, which fits the music nicely, and he especially excels at choruses. His low and mid range vocals are very good and sound rather smooth, but when he starts using his upper register, he really takes it to a whole new level, with some of his most emotive, intense and powerful vocals coming from the higher end of his range. Songs and sections which utilize that side of his voice tend to be my favorites. Production is also top notch, with vocals and keys obviously being at the front of the mix and sounding perfect, while guitars, drums and bass are also clearly audible and all sound very good as well.
Songwriting is very good all around, though most tracks fall into similar territory, starting off soft, slowly building up the atmosphere and mood with keys and vocals, while using heavy guitar work in short bursts. Most tracks have the occasional heavier or more upbeat section, but aside from a couple exceptions, most stay at a subdued pace for most of their duration, and while there aren’t any full ballads, many of the tracks have some extended softer sections. Following a short, but very nice mood setting orchestral intro, second single “Aflame the Cold” is a perfect example of what to expect from the album. It opens up with an extended orchestral sequence, before slowly adding in some nice melodic guitar work, and then things slow down for a soft opening verse, with light guitars in the background, accompanied by atmospheric keys, vocals and orchestral elements. The chorus is fairly subdued and not particularly catchy, but it has some great vocal melodies, and later runs have Sonne getting animated with his high notes, as well as some rather heavy guitar work. The instrumental section is mostly orchestral, and features some sort of narrated vocals, which are interesting, and they eventually give way to a nice guitar solo. Overall, it’s a great track, as well as a great indication of the sort of sound the duo is going for.
Lead single “Oblivion”, is next, again opening up with some atmospheric, orchestral keys, as well as bits of heavy guitar work. As the track moves into its opening verse, the guitars pick up a slight djent sound, which stays throughout the track. It’s another light, vocal driven track, with a heavy focus on keys, and the chorus is very melodic and has some emotive vocals, but once again, it feels rather subdued and isn’t flashy whatsoever. One track which is a bit flashier and more fun is “Symphony of Demise”, the most power metal influenced track on the album. Obviously, keys, vocals and orchestral arrangements are still a huge part of it, and the verses are rather slow and moody, but the keys have a more upbeat, playful feel to them for most of the track, and there’s some very nice melodic lead guitar work, especially during the chorus, where the music speeds up and goes into full on power metal territory, with some very high pitched, epic soaring vocals from Sonne. The feel of the track is somewhat similar to Kamelot, but not quite as dark as their music can get. Interestingly, Sonne adds in some growls towards the end of the chorus, and those start becoming more prominent on the next track. Musically, this is by far my favorite on the album, with the chorus being a highlight, along with an epic, classic power metal guitar solo towards the end.
The pace slows down again with “Moira”, a track which has some extended softer sections where it almost feels like a ballad. It opens up with some light piano, and while there’s some heavy guitar work in short bursts, the piano melody returns for the opening verse, which starts off calm and moody, before more guitars kick in midway through, and then the chorus gets a bit heavier, while maintaining a rather slow pace, and Sonne throws in more of his intense growls. The track alternates nicely between soft piano sections, and slightly heavy guitar sections, all the while everything is being carried by orchestral keys, as usual. The chorus is my favorite part of the track, due to the contrasting vocal styles, but there’s also a very nice bridge, with some much softer vocals and light piano. Next is “Downfall”, more of a mid paced track, and one where the keys have more of the kind of playful, electronic sound found on the last few Pyramaze albums, to go along with the usual orchestral sound. The opening verse is fairly calm and soft, with Sonne using some of his lowest vocals, but the chorus is much more intense, with bursts of heavy guitars, and more powerful vocals from Sonne, accompanied by some excellent growls in the background. It’s another track where the overall mood reminds me a lot of Kamelot, but mixed with the sound of Pyramaze, and it works out quite nicely. There’s a very nice, softly sung bridge towards the end, and then Sonne goes all out with some awesome high notes on the final run through the chorus.
One of the most epic sounding tracks on the album is “Renewal of Hope”, which has some fantastic melodic guitar work early on, mixed with some light choral vocals, and during the verses the guitar work strikes a nice balance between heavy and melodic, while the tempo is still fairly subdued, but slightly more upbeat than the previous couple of tracks. The chorus features some fantastic higher notes from Sonne, as well as some incredible vocal melodies, nicely fitting in with the orchestral arrangements, and it’s definitely one of the catchiest, most epic choruses on the album, as well as one of my personal favorites. There’s a very soft, beautiful guitar solo towards the end, mixed with some nice orchestral keys, and once again, the final run through the chorus features some absolutely outstanding higher ranged vocals from Sonne. Next is “Mechanical Ascendance”, another slightly more upbeat track, with a nice mix of atmospheric keys and light guitar work. It’s a bit lighter and more melodic than the previous track, with a nice, but very subdued chorus.The highlight of the track is the bridge, which features some heavy guitar work and intense growls, as well as some clean vocals, and it leads into a very nice guitar solo.
The last metal track on the album is also the longest, that being the near 8 minute “Echoes of Betrayal”, which starts off with some light orchestral arrangements and some very soft, beautiful piano melodies. It takes nearly 90 seconds for Sonne to make an appearance, and when he does, he sings very softly for a while, until some heavy guitars and more epic orchestral arrangements eventually kick in. From there, the track gets a bit heavier and starts moving at a slightly faster pace, with some intense, animated vocals from Sonne, and some intense drums in quick bursts. The chorus is huge, catchy and epic, with some of the biggest orchestral arrangements on the album, as well as some rather animated vocals. It’s another track which strikes a nice balance between heavy and melodic passages, and it has one of the best choruses on the album, as well as some great instrumental passages. Closing out the album is an extended orchestral track, “The Heart of the Forest”, which has some very beautiful piano work, to go along with the orchestral arrangements, as well as some excellent cello playing from guest musician Tina Guo. It’s a very nice track, and it closes out the album quite well.
Overall, From the Ashes of Deceit is a very impressive debut, from collaborators Jonah Weingarten and Nicklas Sonne. I wouldn’t describe it as prog, like fans of these two might expect, as it instead feels more like a mix of epic symphonic metal and melodic metal, with a large focus on vocals, keys and orchestral arrangements. Fans of Pyramaze should enjoy this a lot, as obviously the keys will sound familiar, and while the songwriting isn’t as catchy, it’s still very enjoyable, instead going for a more epic, yet very melodic approach. Fans of Sonne’s vocals should also find a lot to enjoy, as he gives a fantastic performance, while anyone looking for a great melodic metal album should also find a lot to enjoy here. Aries Descendant have made a strong debut, and I’d definitely be happy to hear more from them in the future, if they decide to make more albums together.
Ratings: 8/10
Written by: Travis Green
My Global Mind – Staff Writer
Travis Green is a Canadian based writer for My Global Mind, with a particular passion for power metal, as well as an interest metal in all its forms.
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