ASHES OF THE SUN is the solo project of Ethan D. Henry, a longtime contributor to FREYA, a band that has been around since 2001. He has toured the world with them and shared the stage with many a big name, mainly in the extreme spectre of Metal. He also recorded three albums and two singles with FREYA. He must have felt he had/has more to say than he can within the band, which makes heading out and doing something by yourself quite acceptable. With this solo effort he is trying to bring back the time Metal and Rock ruled the world, Headbangers Ball was mandatory to your Metallic education. In his own words: “If METALLICA, ANTHRAX and MEGADETH had a baby with ALICE IN CHAINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and the FOO FIGHTERS, that's ASHES OF THE SUN." At least, that is what is mentioned in the EPK that came with the music that I am listening to right now. The question now is if “Gods With Machines” is just what the doctor ordered in these times when everything has to be filled to the brim in order to try and impress.

Well, let me first off tell you that this is not Extreme Metal in any way or form. No, on “Gods With Machines” you will hear simple Heavy metal and Rock, intertwined with slower and more emotional musical parts to heighten the diversity and widen the range of musical paths travelled. Why he has named his project ASHES TO THE SUN doesn’t become clear in the EPK. But hey, it really doesn’t matter. What does matter that by reading the quote he mentioned, I was expecting great things with a lot of interesting material, some exciting rhythms and a proper exploration of boundaries and new areas. But alas, that is not to be. “Gods With Machines” is your run of the mill kind of album, with some good music, some nice ideas, but never with an air that will have you at the edge of your seat, put you on edge, or get you even more excited than you already were in anticipation. At times it also is downright dull. Sorry to have to put it this way, but I think this is one of those moments when the artist is forgetting that the interaction within a band, and the discussions between members to make each other better are sorely being missed when you try and do it in a solo fashion.