In Darkness at Last

Ares Kingdom have not had the career trajectory I would have predicted for them when I was so impressed with their debut Return From Dust waaaaaay back in 2006. The albums between here and there largely throttled back on the aggression of their Thrashy Death Metal assault and went for more progressive and technical sounds. Thankfully, the 2019 album By the Light of Their Destruction peeled off the experimental aspects and got back to the hard-assed metal this band is good at, and this fifth album shows the band finally seeming to get it right.

There are still far more musically complex elements at work here than in most underground bands, but now they are an added layer of flair, rather than interfering with the main business of kicking ass. This is the album I wanted from this band from the beginning, with the thrashing riffs, pounding rhythms, and that subterranean Death Metal vibe you really can't fake. I do wish the guitar tone was heavier and had more crunch to it, but the songwriting here is so fucking good I am prepared to let that slide some. Ares Kingdom hit hard with an underground fist to the face.