ANCIENT OAK CONSORT is a progressive rock/metal band from Italy, formed back in 1995 by Andrea Vaccarella. This is their third full-length album entitled "Hate War Love". The previous two albums were released back in 1997 "Ancient Oak" and 2006 "The Acoustic Resonance of Soul". This album feels like listening to a soundtrack of a war movie. From the great classical piano intro of "Walking" we dive into the much heavier piece "Eternal Clash" that has some great progressive guitar parts and the soothing female vocals of Giulia Stefani. The acoustic parts sound crystal clear and fit the song perfectly.

"By the Sea" is great acoustic track, that does recall the softer side of ANATHEMA and even to a certain degree world music icons DEAD CAN DANCE. "The Heaven's Lie" shows the grittier side of the guitars (though somewhat distant in volume) and the way the vocals sound, they have a Jon Anderson-feel to them. Another strong number is "The Race" which has a great deal of depth and power to it. It packs a great punch in the guitar riffs, a strong contrast with the beauty in the female vocals. The outro "Ninna Nanna" sung entirely in Italian is a beautiful way to end the album as well.

The album has some of the best sounding acoustic guitars I have heard in a while, used very eloquently. The heavier guitars are missing a bit of sustenance at times, but they still have the desired effect. The female vocals do not change much throughout the album which could turn off some listeners, but you can't deny their feeling and impact on the music.