EX AEGIS: EX AEGIS

I first heard the name Scott Allen upon reviewing a couple of albums under the Scott Allen Project moniker; III and Escape Velocity. The guitarist showed plenty of skill and promise on those albums, and I was looking forward to hearing more from the axe slinger. Well, a little while ago Scott messaged me about his new band EX AEGIS. I now hold in my hands the debut self-titled CD.

“Intro� begins the album, a short orchestral piece that bares similarities to parts of Prism’s “Armageddon�. “Intro� breaks immediately into “Shadowlock� featuring powerhouse drumming and powerful vocals from Jude Morgan. It’s fast paced heavy rock/metal with intense double kick drumming, an addictive chorus, and blistering guitar solos from Allen and Ryan Bowe. Next is “Rising� a full-bore all-out rocker with an addictive riff progression and a catchy chorus. The red hot fretwork from both players is jaw droppingly good. On “Not My Kind� the pace is only slightly slower, the thick guitar riffs adding serious heft, and although the band eases off the gas, the dual lead guitars are just as intense. With “Dropped Call� the melodic guitar phrasing and chiming rhythms along with a ramped-up chorus is probably the biggest earworm on the disc. This is the closest the band comes to power ballad territory. On “Head West� the classic rock riff is almost as irresistible.

EX AEGIS is certainly a band to watch for, especially if metal and guitar heroics are what you are after. And I almost forgot, it is catchy as hell!

The band:
Jude Morgan (vocals)
Ryan Bowe (guitars)
Scott Allen (guitars)
Alex Bosson (drums)
Tom Frost (percussion, keyboards, backing vocals)

Track Listing:
1. Intro (0:51)
2. Shadowlock (4:22)
3. Rising (5:39)
4. Not My Kind (5:06)
5. Dropped Call (3:08)
6. Head West (5:55)
7. Focus (3:08)
8. I Can’t Wait (4:10)
9. Love On The Wire (4:21)
10. This Fire (9:06)
11. The Hourglass (4:55)
12. Tokyo (5:11)

Added: November 26th 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 738
Language: english

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