Album review: ARIES DESCENDANT – The Ashes Of Deceit

Frontiers [Release date 18.10.24]

An amazing sense of musical ambition can often be found among European Rock and Metal bands. Often that ambition is rooted in the classics, or at least how the classics have been interpreted by contemporary musicians.

As cinematic as the music of James Horner or Hans Zimmer, with added hard rock guitars and vocals, this debut by duo Jonah (Pyramaze) Weingarten (orchestrations and keys) and Nicklas Sonne (vocals, guitars and bass), known as Aries Descendant, succeeds where many “Symphonic Rock” bands have failed.

Why? Because Weingarten and Sonne are constantly reaching for that awesome moment when symphonic rock and the classics fuse together, creating one heartstopping, transcendent piece of music.

Filled with electrifying dynamic shifts, and painted with huge, broad, colourful brushstrokes, each tightly structured track is a symphonic metal feast. With choirs, soaring choruses, and big, orchestrated production numbers.

The first songs the duo wrote, ‘Aflame The Cold’ and ‘Renewal Of Hope’, bring all those elements together. Sonne mixes primeval growls with operatic highs, adding vocal heft to an already dazzling soundscape.

Early on, Sonne seems to step forward and take charge. Almost as if we’re already taking Weingartens spine tingling orchestrations for granted (which we are).

It’s immediately noticeable on ‘Oblivion’, a song with the expected sci fi wrappings. Sonne’s story telling narrative rises and falls, ultimately reaching an evocative crescendo.

Similarly, on ‘Symphony Of Demise’, a more grounded, heavy metal speed freak of a song, Weingarten’s orchestrations spin in and out, but again, this is Sonne’s song.

Elsewhere, ‘Downfall’s moods and images don’t shift too far from the band’s lush, widescreen style, but is more operatic than symphonic, and makes a welcome contrast.

World famous Chinese American cellist, Tina Guo guests on the album’s beautifully apposite closer, ‘In The Heart Of The Forest’.

Her typically lyrical cello phrasing avoids the need for words, as all good instrumentals do.

It’s a delightful, classy, if slightly restrained end to a superb album. ****

Review by Brian McGowan

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)