Review by Adam M on August 30, 2016.

SubRosa plays a very post take on the metal genre, but with overt doom tendencies. There are cascading riffs that have power and elegance within them that take this genre to the next level.

This is a form of metal that bands like Isis and Cult of Luna have perfected and it is seen to be taken in a different direction here. The songs are generally more open-ended than what those bands perform. The winding passages are freer to explore every nook and cranny possible because the band goes in more directions and doesn’t rely on the same guitar riff as those bands mentioned. This is certainly a very adventurous listen that explores new sonic territories around every corner. The band seems to have mastered loudness control as they let these songs drift into portions that brilliantly display the power of the guitar riff as well as other strings. Moments of the single track Wounds of Warden completely enrapture the listener with glittering use of the guitar. The female vocals are not at the level of the guitar riffs, but still provide a nice counterpoint to what’s going on instrumentally. The overall effect is awe inspiring and will completely win over the listener. SubRosa has put together an album that is as challenging as it is rewarding. It will take multiple listens to allow the guitar riffs to become enveloped in the brain, but this album is more than worth the effort.

For This We Fought The Battle Of Ages has an array of moments that are not to be taken with a grain of salt. They are massive and crushing in their effect. This album is simply a monster and must be consumed as such. The music is huge and all-consuming, but could still be refined further in the future. This is one band that I’m excited for what will come and will keep my ears open for what is offered.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by JD on July 28, 2011.

The wide open prairies of Canada are the perfect breeding ground for some of the most solid and yet truly nasty metal to be born into. Untimely Demise is a band hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada who delivers a metallic punch to the face that is hard to ignore. Inspired to deliver the most powerful music they can, they take there many influences (and love of Canadian beer) and release one of Canada’s unknown metal gems (just signed with Sonic Unyon Metal).

With all of the detonation power of the 80's Thrash scene, Untimely Demise take all of the goodness of that and then add in some brutal sonic twists that just explodes into your ears. They do remind me of the old Bay Area Thrash (San Francisco) with added touches of German Thrash of the same time period. They also remind me of Canadian Thrash legends Infernal Majesty that are hopped up on steroids. Simply said, these guys rock hard, and rock clear.

Through the whole of the album, one thing und through each of the tracks, there was many levels of pure talent. These guys penned some of the wickedest metal since Overkill’s 'Hello From The Gutter' or Exodus’s brilliant and inspired "Bonded By Blood". There is not one weak song on the disk, making the band by far head and shoulders above the every one of the mediocre wannabes and poser metallers out there.... and bring us into ‘perfect metal’ territory.

It is so perfectly clear what you have to do, my brothers and sisters of metal. Buy a copy of the Untimely Demise’s album, play it loudly, drink plenty of beer and than repeat. That is my prescription for whatever ails you... or just an excuse to blow out your neighbours that keep playing polka music at all hours. Just buy it already, don’t be a poser!!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship:9
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9.5

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by Luka on January 17, 2003.

It's bands like this that make you reassess your whole idea of what music really is. After one listen the average person would be content to brand this whole album as nothing but "noise", but what does the average person know? Burnt By The Sun is another valiant newcomer to the Relapse family, infusing young life into their roster with a bold distinction. Pulling in influences from a rich variety of extreme music styles (typically those ending with "core"), they've busted out a promising album of chaotic metal.

This is not a disc for those short of attention span. The music is a clamor of polyrhythmic arrangements, insane drumming, and powerful vocal assaults so your best bet is to focus on the rhythm and let the confusing guitar sections and the rest fall into place. The songs move at almost an incomprehensible pace, so as soon as you figure out what's going your song is already over. In fact, the entire album is over in less than thirty minutes. So, you better perk up your ears and give it undivided attention. Slow parts are rare but they do advent in the form of heavy, bass-driven, chugging riffs that you can actually head-bang to. The absence of any kind of intelligible song structure makes "Soundtrack..." an album you can virtually listen to a hundred times without getting bored. In other words, there is something new in every listen. My favorite pick would be the final heavy anthem titled ’Human | Steamroller.’ Indeed like some monstrous metal steamroller, it chugs along loaded with fast, heavy riffs and plenty of hooks and groove.

While the album may not change your entire perspective on life, like the ambitious title suggests, the lyrics show enough sense and intelligence to make you stop and think for a while. Thematically, they talk about the common faults of society and generally the same pessimistic, negative prattle that we get from most metal bands, but here it's done with a slightly tongue-in-cheek attitude, apparent from some of the comical song titles, ie: ‘Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom;" ‘Boston Tea-Bag Party."

Bottom Line: An extremely complicated work of art but some of the most original extreme metal Relapse has ever put out.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 9.5
Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7
Overall: 6

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Luka on January 17, 2003.

It's bands like this that make you reassess your whole idea of what music really is. After one listen the average person would be content to brand this whole album as nothing but "noise", but what does the average person know? Burnt By The Sun is another valiant newcomer to the Relapse family, infusing young life into their roster with a bold distinction. Pulling in influences from a rich variety of extreme music styles (typically those ending with "core"), they've busted out a promising album of chaotic metal.

This is not a disc for those short of attention span. The music is a clamor of polyrhythmic arrangements, insane drumming, and powerful vocal assaults so your best bet is to focus on the rhythm and let the confusing guitar sections and the rest fall into place. The songs move at almost an incomprehensible pace, so as soon as you figure out what's going your song is already over. In fact, the entire album is over in less than thirty minutes. So, you better perk up your ears and give it undivided attention. Slow parts are rare but they do advent in the form of heavy, bass-driven, chugging riffs that you can actually head-bang to. The absence of any kind of intelligible song structure makes "Soundtrack..." an album you can virtually listen to a hundred times without getting bored. In other words, there is something new in every listen. My favorite pick would be the final heavy anthem titled ’Human | Steamroller.’ Indeed like some monstrous metal steamroller, it chugs along loaded with fast, heavy riffs and plenty of hooks and groove.

While the album may not change your entire perspective on life, like the ambitious title suggests, the lyrics show enough sense and intelligence to make you stop and think for a while. Thematically, they talk about the common faults of society and generally the same pessimistic, negative prattle that we get from most metal bands, but here it's done with a slightly tongue-in-cheek attitude, apparent from some of the comical song titles, ie: ‘Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom;" ‘Boston Tea-Bag Party."

Bottom Line: An extremely complicated work of art but some of the most original extreme metal Relapse has ever put out.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 9.5
Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 7
Overall: 6

Rating: 7.5 out of 10