Apollyon Rising – Prepare For War EP
Apollyon Rising – Prepare For War EP
Self-Released
Release Date: 05/04/24
Running Time: 19:18
Review by Oli Gonzalez
7/10
Apollyon Rising. An established name in the underground metal scenes of North Wales and the North West of England. Known for a solid live show, they swept through the competition of their Bloodstock Metal To The Masses regional heats in 2022 and earned their slot on the infamous New Blood Stage. I’ve also had the chance to witness this live show in person and was curious to check out their upcoming release “Prepare For War”. After their previous work had received critical acclaim from Metal Hammer, my expectations were high. Let’s get into it.
To be truthful, I’ll start off by saying I’m honestly not the biggest fan of Thrash Metal nor am I the most knowledgeable of the genre. However, this shouldn’t affect my judgement and impartiality. After all, there is a lot to appreciate here. The album kicks off with its title track ‘Prepare For War’. This screams of old school 80s Thrash, in the style of maybe Kreator or Exodus. The production values are impressive, especially for an unsigned act. The drums permeate nicely through the mix, locking in with the throb of the bass to form this rock solid foundation. And it’s a foundation vocalist Ste can build upon with his consistently heavy yet intelligible vocals. Whilst guitarist Glen is able to provide that old school Thrashy edge, and delivers an absolutely scorching solo later in the song! This is a must listen! The riff fest carries on into the next track ‘Parasite’, continuing that tried and tested Thrash Metal formula. Honestly, there is such a fun guitar riff that dominates the song, one I’m sure will have you air guitaring in your living room come release day! Another blazing guitar solo demonstrates Glen’s phenomenal talent!
Things somehow feel more frantic and the pace picks up in ‘From Fire To Ashes’ , whilst ‘No More Silence’ is another respectable effort to round off the album, following in the same mould of the previous tracks.
Overall, this is a good solid Thrash Metal album that’s a throwback to the earlier days of the genre. On the shorter side too; a smart move to just introduce you to their sound without outstaying their welcome. The production values exceed what you’d expect for a self-release, with every instrument getting the love and attention it deserves in the mix. Whilst this may not go on to make shock waves in the industry, it demonstrates that there is certainly talent in the underground Metal scene and there are bands worth taking a punt on.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Prepare For War
02. Parasite
03. From Fire To Ashes
04. No More Silence
LINE-UP:
Guitars: Glen Brazier
Drums: James Robert’s
Vocals: Ste Holland
Bass: Dan Gordon
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of The Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
