Nine years after the formation of Ashes Of Ares, Matt Barlow (vocals, ex-Iced Earth) and Freddie Vidales (guitar, ex-Iced Earth) return with their third album "Emperors And Fools". On this album, the duo takes the darkness and aggression of their previous album "Well of Souls" to the next level. The writing process began immediately after the release of "Well of Souls". As usual, it was a true collaboration between the two, with ideas then evolving and being refined into what is presented on "Emperors and Fools". The album keeps the listener captivated by tension, from fast, heavy, pounding anthems to somber, melancholic, emotional pieces. The album ends with the eleven minute epic "Monster's Lament", the long hoped for collaboration between Matt Barlow and Tim Ripper Owens (Iced Earth, KK's Priest). Great power metal with modern/progressive metal elements and of course outstanding vocals.