Age Of Ore is a serious one of a kind type of band. Not just because of their hard-hitting hooks, intricate drum fills that cut to your core or their riotous riffs that seem to slice through your speakers more and more with each listen. But also because each member of this Philadelphia based trio is between fourteen and seventeen years old. You’d never guess it from the powerful, polished nature of their tracks. You certainly wouldn’t guess it from the sounds of their upcoming EP Malevolent.
Wings Of Steel kicks off the EP with the kind of grunge guitar chords you can’t help but scrunch your face to. Age Of Ore set the tone of Malevolent in their opening intro; unapologetically in your face. The distortion on Jake Hoopes’ guitar blends perfectly into the mix, creating a thick texture for Lucas Hoopes’ piercing drum line to cut through. Throughout Wings Of Steel, there are powerful moments of synergy between the guitars and drums as they cut and weave within each other with natural flair. Drag You Under boasts much of the same musicality, yet Age Of Ore let guitar riffs run riot throughout the whole sonic landscape. They slow up the pace here, forcing us to feel the hefty distortion and murky waters of their music. I guess, they really do Drag Us Under. The sudden tempo change is awesome, it bursts into the track with slick surprise. Deven Marano’s deep bass line makes this moment as satisfying as it is. The vocals in this track are outstanding. The absolute control and captivating command of the vocal lines is a total standout of the whole album. The performance presence that Age Of Ore’s vocalist flexes throughout Malevolent shows some real talent beyond their years. Never overpowering, but never shying away. The vocals hit every mark and catapults this album to stratospheric heights. Another great example of Age Of Ore’s instrumental synergy is Oblivion. The vocals and guitars are perfectly balanced. Especially in the chorus. There are echoes of a call and response as they swell and shrink between each other, creating electric energy flowing throughout this track. The riffs that fuel the fire of the last track Forsaker is the perfect note to end Malevolent on. Age Of Ore brings out the big guns in this finale. Each element is cranked up to the max. Even the vocals feel like they’re out for blood. With their recent releases making up their debut EP ‘Malevolent’, their hard-hitting rock and metal fusion feels more self-assured than ever before.
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Watch The Video for FORSAKER on YOUTUBE
By Sasha Lauryn
