Album Review: War of Ages — Fire from the Tomb
Onward Christian soldiers!
War of Ages’ latest offering, Fire from the Tomb may be the worst thing I have ever heard, and that’s saying a lot (I saw Styx on the Kilroy Was Here tour). Standard-issue metalcore riffs of the “look-ma-how-fast-I-can-play” variety, coupled with a punishing bass/drum assault equal…well, not much. The bowels-of-Hell vocals are a barely-interesting juxtaposition, set as they are against lyrics about how swell their god is. Their god kicks ass, dude. But he (or the band) seems a little…angry.
It’s all the same song, over and over, for twelve tracks (counting the silly, pretentious and obligatory track called “Intro;” hey — props to the guys for that imaginative song title!). The songs all sound the same, and the lyrics never venture beyond the “kickin’ ass for our god” and “bleedin’ in sin” shtick, but at least the titles help us differentiate one track from another. Fun titles include “Brothers in Arms” (about fightin’ for their god), “Only the Strong Survive” (more fightin’), and “Battle On” (are you sensing a pattern here?).
On the positive side, buried in the lunkheaded mix of “The Awakening” (itself a bold lyrical departure: it’s about fightin’ for their god) are some guitars that sound — if only for a moment — like Tom Scholz of Boston.
A liner notes shout-out from the guys in the band says that this album is a re-recording of their first album, necessitated because the first try “didn’t do the album any justice.” I plan on doing it justice by putting it in my trash compactor. Almost any album deserves at least half a star rating. Not this.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4000-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he is co-teaching a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 40 Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.