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There are certain bands that encounter the stress and hardships of lineup changes but still manage to trudge through the difficulties. As pleasing as it is to see these bands weather the ongoing storms of personnel changes, it can also be painful, as the bands tend to change and, sometimes, wither away. I'm not concluding that such is the case for Age Of Ruin, but after the departure of the final original member and guitarist Daniel Fleming, I can't help but be skeptical of Age Of Ruin's future. What's really at stake here, though, is the band's latest and somewhat overdue full-length, "The Tides Of Tragedy."
Because the now-departed Daniel Fleming was part of Age Of Ruin for the writing and recording of "The Tides Of Tragedy," the album does carry the band's previously distinct qualities. The band doesn't, however, sound the same, especially due to a switch in vocalists early in 2004. On "The Tides Of Tragedy," former Samadhi vocalist Ben Swan contributes a bunch of screaming and growls but doesn't have the same evil, raspy voice of Derrick Kozerka. While Swan sounds pretty comfortable amongst Age Of Ruin's melodic, Scandinavian-influenced metal, the clean singing sounds forced and tends to detract from the band's ferocity.
Age Of Ruin certainly didn't abandon the sound that worked for them in the past. Still present are loads of masterful guitar riffs, which ultimately distinguish the band from other melodic metal bands. Both Daniel Fleming and Brian Kerley are constantly shredding away at their strings, with a lot of quick, tremolo picking and inventive guitar leads contrasting well with chunky open chords. The drumming, too, is precise and snappy, accurately tying together the expansive guitar riffing.
Something about the flow of "The Tides Of Tragedy" seems problematic. The first three songs give the impression that Age Of Ruin has headed in a more mosh-oriented direction with a good helping of clean singing. After that, the band sounds far more metal, even including two songs that originally appeared on the "Autumn Lanterns" album. I personally prefer the latter, because it simply sounds more like the band I'm familiar with. The opener, "Yesterday's Ghost," is really catchy, but songs like "Siren's Passage" remind me of Age Of Ruin's unique instrumentation and why I'm drawn to it.
Awkward stylistic shifts and some mildly weak production on "The Tides Of Tragedy" aside, this is a solid disc of melodic metal. The genre is becoming much more widely regarded in the United States of late, but I still think Age Of Ruin has what it takes to distinguish themselves and remain a player. While we'll have to intently wait (not unusual for Age Of Ruin fans...) to see what happens to Age Of Ruin in the future, "The Tides Of Tragedy" is readily available and enjoyable. Longtime fans and newcomers to melodic metal should give this album, as well as Age Of Ruin's back catalog, a listen.
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