Ashes of Ares - Emperors and Fools (2022)

After four years of waiting, Ashes of Ares' third album, Emperors and Fools, has arrived.
The band formed by former Iced Earth members Matt Barlow on vocals and Freddie Vidales on bass continues to present traditional heavy metal with intense flirtations with groove, power and progressive metal. Matt Barlow is still in the spotlight, showing that he is still one of metal's great voices, but for some reason Emperors and Fools failed to excite me. The album is far from bad, it just continues to be more of the same from everything the band has done so far, sometimes sounding a little cloying.
We have great moments like The Iron Throne , I Am the Night which are real stoners with intense riffs and really powerful vocals, like the visceral and masterful ballad Gone, of course Monster's Lament which closes the album with the special participation of Ripper Owens another incredible vocalist.
I confess that I expected more from Emperors and Fools, but even so, during the twelve songs presented it is possible to have a satisfying experience at various times, especially being able to hear the vocals of the brutal Matt Barlow, one of the highlights of the album.
@ashesofaresofficial