Ex Aegis is a Power/Prog Metal band with Hard Rock sensibilities mixed in. Hailing from Sacramento, California, they blend beautifully into the West Coast Metal scene. You can hear the 80s influences and the new production and recording qualities, giving this album a timeless feel. Having come together in 2019, a pandemic immediately hindered Scott and Ryan, but perseverance has paid off. The self-titled debut is a definite throwback to the glory days of 80s metal. Most of the influences they list may have had male lead singers, but Ex Aegis dared to search for something different and found Judith. The results speak for themselves.

https://exaegisband.com/

Band Members:

  • Judith Morgan – Vocals
  • Scott Allen – Guitars
  • Ryan Bowe – Guitars
  • Alex Bosson – Drums

July 11, 2023 – Self Released

Tracklist:

  1. Intro
  2. Shadowlock
  3. Rising
  4. Not My Kind
  5. Dropped Call
  6. Head West
  7. I Can’t Wait
  8. Focus
  9. Love On The Wire
  10. This Fire
  11. The Hourglass
  12. Tokyo

At 52 seconds, “Intro” is just what you’d expect; an epic lead into an album full of Power Metal! It’s dramatic and builds the tension, just as it is supposed to. This takes us to “Shadowlock,” a song built on heavy guitars and solid rhythms. The drum patterns through the verses are quite nice, showing off Alex’s skills. The shifts and changes from cymbal dominant to snare-heavy make the song work on a lot of levels. The guitars work together well, showing off both symmetric and dynamic phrasing. Scott and Ryan are a team to be reckoned with.

If you want to know more about Judith and her vocal talents, just listen to the opening scream on “Rising.” Lasting 13 seconds with sustained power and hold, she definitely establishes herself as an elite singer. She has the ability to sustain, use vibrato, or just belt out a powerful chest voice sequence.

On “Dropped Call,” Ex Aegis goes softer, moving into a power ballad zone. The lighter tones, coupled with the heavier sections, add depth to the overall skill set of the band as a whole, showing they’ve developed beyond just a one-trick-pony style. “Head West” follows, going a bit heavier, but staying under the top speed Ex Aegis can reach. There is a melodic feel to this song that is very reminiscent of 80s metal. This sticks with their predominant influence, keeping them true to the sound they want to build their reputation upon.

On “I Can’t Wait” and “Focus,” you get different tones, textures, and feels. The music ranges from Hard Rock to Heavy Metal and makes a few stops in between. Part of “I Can’t Wait” reminded me a little of Dirty Looks, a fairly obscure 80s Glam/Hair Metal band. You get heavy dual guitar work in other sections, leaning closer to Helloween or Queensrÿche, then take a quick trip through Hard Rock from the mid-80s in an almost Great White style. Needless to say, as a metalhead from that era, I am very much okay with this!

Most of the songs on this album are in the 3–5-minute range, hitting the radio-friendly mark that the genre lost a long time ago, but that is still a fan favorite. The songs are just right in length, running at just the right time to hold the listener. The songs are catchy, the musicianship very good, and the vocals hit the right notes at the right time, showing both skill and a knack for fitting into the tone of the track. Ex Aegis is West Coast Metal done right.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 8
  •             Rhythms – 9
  •             Vocals – 8
  • Songwriting – 8
  • Production – 8

Overall – 8.20