ASHES OF ARES Singer MATT BARLOW Answers Fan-Submitted Questions (Video)

October 20, 2013

Former ICED EARTH and current ASHES OF ARES singer Matt Barlow recently answered a number of questions that were submitted by fans via his official Facebook page. Check out the footage below.

The self-titled debut album from ASHES OF ARES, the band featuring Barlow, Van Williams (ex-NEVERMORE) and Freddie Vidales (ex-ICED EARTH),sold around 900 copies in the United States in its first week of release. Issued on September 17 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was recorded in part at Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida with legendary producer Jim Morris (ICED EARTH, OBITUARY, JON OLIVA'S PAIN, JAG PANZER). It was made available as a limited CD in a digipak, including a bonus track, as well as in two different 2LP versions.

"Ashes Of Ares" track listing:

01. The Messenger
02. Move The Chains
03. On Warrior's Wings
04. Punishment
05. This Is My Hell
06. Dead Man's Plight
07. Chalice Of Man
08. The Answer
09. What I Am
10. The One-Eyed King
11. The Answer (acoustic version; bonus track)

The video for the song "This Is My Hell" can be seen below. The clip was directed by David Brodsky (MUNICIPAL WASTE, WHITECHAPEL, KYLESA, REVOCATION) and was shot in an old steel foundry in Newburgh, New York along the Hudson River.

Matt Barlow recently told DeadRhetoric.com about the songwriting process for "Ashes Of Ares": "It really is for the first time being in total creative control of lyrics and vocal melodies. That's a big deal for me. It's a big step, but without Freddie writing the music — he wrote 99.9 however much of the music — it would be different. I'm a music writer, but not writer per se. I did write the basis for "Move The Chains", but my guitar playing sucks [laughs], but Freddie made it sound like actual guitar playing, and I did "The Answer", which I wrote acoustically. It's really more… I'm going to take the hits — good or bad — as far as lyrics and melodies because it is all me. Freddie wrote 99.9 [percent], however much of the music, but it's really this collaborative effort. Van took the ideas we had and wrote these cool drum parts that we didn't even think of — it changed the dynamic of the songs. It's a really cool joint collaboration, and we're really proud."

Regarding the album title and the cover artwork, which was designed by drummer Van Williams, Van stated: "We discussed a few ideas, but once we had developed the band logo, it felt right to use it as the introduction to the band along with the name as the focal point for our first album. The artwork, for me, reflects where each of us has been and how we are coming together from our pasts in this new endeavour."

ASHES OF ARES is:

Matthew Barlow - Vocals
Freddie Vidales - Guitar/Bass
Van Williams - Drums
Gio Geraca - Guitar (session/touring member only)
Dean Sternberg - Bass (session/touring member only)

ASHES OF ARES is a band which represents the culmination of experiences, trials and tribulations of its founding members. Within months of their departures from the iconic metal bands ICED EARTH and NEVERMORE, the trio came together with a renewed drive to create a sound which is a true collaboration of their personal influences, ideas and visions. Armed with the knowledge acquired through years of the writing, touring and recording cycle, and with the support of an army of loyal fans across the globe, ASHES OF ARES is poised to carve out a new legacy and stand alongside those who have helped pave the way.

Question-and-answer session:

"This Is My Hell" video:

ashesofarescd_600

Find more on Ashes of ares
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).