Ever since the emergence of Melodic Metal, Modern Metal bands took it upon themselves to expand this particular style and hence we now have an array of bands who perform this particular brand of Metal in as many different ways as possible. Utilizing the catchy electronics, integrating Acoustic picking, or even achieving euphony through symphonic means, Melodic Metal is quite versatile. Not to be confused, Melodic Metal is not a genre, instead being a collective term for showcasing Metal bands that take euphony as their main musical ingredient.

At this point I have to confess that I am quite pessimistic about the evolution of this style. Over the years the complexity and technicality of music were taken away from this genre due to its evolution. However, Germany has a tough contender to make this style more complex and of course Melodic. CONCLUSION OF AN AGE are a Modern Melodic Metal outfit devised in 2014. Without much hesitation the band challenged themselves to write new records and tour massively. Their debut full-length "Captains and Kings" was released this year through Dr Music Records.

With 9 tracks lined up to deliver an everlasting euphony, the album starts off with a soothing intro that leads us to the second track "Infinite War". This particular song is good but not perfect. Even though I dig the cleans, listening to the same clean vocals again and again without any well driven transition is a bit boring. Instrumentation-wise you do get a good melodic sound as the tracks "Broken Throne" and "Captains and Kings" sound insanely sweet with the latter opening up with some catchy acoustic picking.

However, the fifth track "Days turn into Light" shows the less complex rhythms. The drums lack complexity as most of the parts are constructed solely on basic double bass rudiments. But surprisingly when it all comes together as a whole the song shines bright in terms of musicianship as well Songwriting if they would have integrated more versatile vocals and more complex drum fills and rudiments I would've given a perfect score for the songwriting. The track list remains solely melodic with a fewer adrenaline-filled tracks before the album ceases with a ballad that perfectly sums up the record.

Overall I do find some appealing aspects in this album. With a majority of tracks being structured on the Melodic side of Metal, I surely will recommend this album for all AVENGED SEVENFOLD, ALTER BRIDGE and even TRIVIUM fans. However, if the band concentrated more on the production they would've surely delivered a beast of an album. Nonetheless, after a week of extreme stuff I found these tracks quite refreshing, so I don't want to place too much blame on them. Is it a hit or a miss? Well, that's for you to find it out. For me it's a decent effort from a new and emerging band. Hopefully I will get to know more about their skills and prowess on their future albums.