2018 finds Graveshadow with their second full-length release entitled Ambition’s Price. I’m always nervous when confronted with the successor to an album I love, wondering whether the band will make stylistic changes that don’t appeal to me or, perhaps worse, just go conservative with an effort that’s same and lame.
Whoa - Ambition’s Price is more than a worthy heir to their debut! The album contains plenty of powerful riffing, killer vocals, well-conceived compositions, as well as some potent ideas that suggest an exciting future for this band.
The album opens with the stunning song “Doorway To Heaven," where we find not a route to paradise but a doorway straight to heavy metal hell. Delivered in Graveshadow’s trademark aggressive and angry fashion, the track is an appropriate entry to this amazing album.
“Widow and the Raven” is even more uptempo, and features a killer riff and solid chorus. Singer Heather Michele stays mostly in the clean register, dipping into her growls only toward the end. This song is as melodic as it is powerful.
The title track “Ambition’s Price” slows things down significantly but remains compelling. A haunting, yet super-catchy pounder played with conviction and brilliance!
“Hero Of Time” - one of my personal favs - is a fast-paced gem, and one of only two songs on the album without any harsh vocals. The Zelda-inspired lyrics are well-crafted, with a memorable chorus that will have metal heads pumping their fists and singing along.
“Gates” is a great track with a sinister intro, classy riffs, and the vocals exuding sheer emotion. Guitarists William Walker and Aaron Robitch are sneaky-good with their execution here and throughout, never stealing the spotlight entirely but expertly controlling the tempo and tone with their subtle fretwork.
“The Unspoken” ratchets things up a notch with more intensity, brilliant melodies, and superb guitar-work that culminates in an utterly brutal ending. A rocking cut consistent with the quality of the others.
The ballad “Return To Me” opens in a Dark Tranquillity-esque fashion. Another slightly slower-paced track but no less gripping.
Tracks 8-10 form a min-story arc with imagery and storyline culled from the World of Warcraft universe. Straight-forward "Slave" kicks things off with a mid-tempo metal burner, leading into the balls-out speed metal tune "Liberator," featuring solid contributions from bassist Benjamin Armstrong and drummer Roman Anderson. Headbangers, get ready for this one! Rounding out the trilogy is "Warchief," an energetic piece that wraps up the narrative in style.
The album closer, “Eden Ablaze”, concludes Graveshadow’s conquest of the listener in the same sick vein as the prior ten tracks. The chorus is magnificent and the guitar playing and vocals typically amazing!
This album hits every mark I could want for a heavy metal record and, honestly, I don’t know why more American bands don’t follow Graveshadow’s lead in mixing some of the best of power, doom, and symphonic elements. What America needs, badly, is more metal like this!
I give this album 100% rating, 5 stars, 10-out-of-10… whatever accolades I could heap on this record are manifestly deserved! This is an absolute lock on my list of best metal albums of the year, and easily my pick for album of the year so far. If you love metal, I beg you to listen to this album – you will not be disappointed.
Ambition’s Price is released by M-Theory Audio. You can purchase the album through the M-Theory audio store as well as via Graveshadow.com.