AMBRIUS – Effigies of Time

The hard-hitting British metal outfit Ambrius, which includes former members of Oakhaart and Tempestora in its ranks, is about to unleash this exciting 6-track debut of EP of theirs, and if modern melodic metal with a solid dose of aggression is your thing, then you could certainly do worse than checking it out.

Singer Sam Shiers is a fully engaging presence throughout and the lyrics and subject matter of the songs touch on relevant problems and issues plaguing our society as well as the pressing matters of the world today. “Effigies of Time” is an impassioned piece of work that is a crunchy as it is nuanced, and the band as a whole does a stellar job at channeling emotional turmoil into every riff, melody, and vocal line, which makes for an interesting listening experience. There is a somber undertone to closing track “The Pulse and Purpose” and this one is a powerful display of how to perfectly balance pummeling riffs and heavy sections with melodic passages while not forgetting to imbue every syllable and sentence with just the right amount of drama. The production could have been a little punchier from my perspective as it would have added more force and bombast to the sound of the otherwise awesome rhythm section.

In many ways, the EP is both fierce and cathartic, and Ambrius deliver their music and message with conviction. Vigor and passion are the keywords here and if acts such as Gojira, Shadows Fall, and Killswitch Engage rock your world then do yourself a favor and make a note of “Effigies of Time”. Should you need a teaser then you might want to consider giving the brooding “Self Reflection” or perhaps the epic and catchy “The Unavoidable Path” a listen.