VOICE OF RUIN is a Metal band that combines Thrash, Groove, and MDM. "Acheron" is their third full length album; they also have an EP and two demos under their belt.  Immediately upon the first track "Thanatophobia," bursting its way into my ears, I realized this band really does take all these styles and mold them into one sound.  Vocalist Schaller has a decent mid-range screaming growl that goes well with both extreme Thrash and more Death Metal oriented styles.  The guitars are fast paced that do a great job of being speedy yet melodic when needed.  This first track certainly shows off what the band is capable of and if you like this one, you will probably like all the rest. The album doesn't really feature any hugely dynamic songs that differentiate from each other but all are solid-definitely no filler here, even if none of them really stand out too much.

"Salem" is backed by powerful drums that compliment the riffs that they support.  There is a brief moment about a minute and twenty two seconds in when everything slows down and goes very melodic and I wish the band explored this type of atmosphere a bit more.  Still, the song has some good melodies and the solo is soaring.  Biner's furious drum attack boosts the song to high levels—he is definitely the album's MVP as he really knows how to incorporate his playing into the compositions of the songs. "Mass Grave," is one of the best songs on the album.  The guitars have a massive tone to them and the venomous vocals glide alongside the rhythm with ease.  This track starts strong and doesn't let up and even has room for a bit of melody towards the end. Again, there is a strong melodic presence that just kind of fades off without being explored more.

One of the more intense tracks is "Parasomnia," where the bands Thrash roots really show—the riffs are blistering but still retain that melodic edge.  I would say this track probably represents the most of the band is all about. Ultimately, I found the album to be decent but nothing that really screamed out to me to listen to over and over again.  It definitely isn't a bad album–it has a lot heart, is revved up for quick head banging induced entertainment but it doesn't have a lot of staying power.