Many older sub-genres of metal are making a comeback... and the original Heavy Metal is within those that are gloriously back, in all of it's splendor! CAULDRON joins ENFORCER as the some of the new successors of the sub-genre; they fit and match with legends such as American bands ARMORED SAINT and METAL CHURCH, who also released/will release new albums. More mellow and slow in sound than their counterpart from Sweden, they are a very impressive band, especially considering there are only 3 members!

"No Return/In Ruin" starts the album strong and is a pleasing opener, with stirring vocal lines during the chorus and great riffs; we instantly get back to this simpler time in metal. The outro is composed of melodic clean guitar parts and a good way to finish the song. "Empress" feature a tiny bit of acoustic guitar at first and then goes into a standard mid-paced piece with another rather catchy chorus. "Burning at Both Ends" has an energetic start and features one of the more catchy chorus in this release, which is a feat in itself... it is very good melodic stuff. The lead guitar is also particularly good here. "Hold Your Fire" is a slower paced song, with riffs invoking instantly the late 70's and early 80's classic Heavy Metal sound. "Come Not Here" is another slower paced song and has heavier riffs to it... the lyrics are somewhat darker too. The chorus has an interesting use of a second higher pitched vocal line, alongside the main one. "Santa Mira" has a groovy bass intro and dynamic riffs and drum lines. There is however one part in the guitar solo I'm not sure I like; it sounds a bit forced or something, I'm not sure how to explain. It's fortunately pretty much the only part of the album that sounds wrong to me. "Corridors of Dust" totally redeems the weaker song from just before... and is probably my favorite one, with a truly stellar melodic chorus; the harmony of the multiple vocal lines is done flawlessly and it sounds absolutely like authentic Heavy Metal. The guitar solo is also my favorite from the whole album. "Delusive Serenade" is a hauntingly beautiful, melancholic instrumental ballad with a lot of soul to it. The clean guitar riffs and the lead guitar parts are equally awesome. Overall, another exceptional song and one of my favorite too. "Outrance" is one of the other songs with a faster pace and a bit more balls added to the riffs, but is equally melodic and fits with the others. A superb finale to CAULDRON's fourth album.

I have very few bad things to say about CAULDRON's "In Ruin"; the song quality range from good to truly exceptional, especially towards the end. If you are a fan of Heavy Metal, be on the lookout for this band if they are playing live in your area!

Originality: 8