Supreme Chaos

Don’t be misled by the title of War of Ages’ seventh album—the tracks of Supreme Chaos display a masterful sense of focus and control. After muscling their way to the front ranks of Christian metal, the Pennsylvania quintet confirm their stature with this musically confident and spiritually assertive release. Over the years, War of Ages have shown an ability to avoid wallowing in metallic torpor thanks to their collective agility and precision. These qualities are heightened by the presence of newly recruited Jack Daniels (formerly of Hope for the Dying), who makes his influence felt both as songwriter and guitarist. Together with co-lead player Steve Brown, he brings out the grandeur in “Lionheart,” “Still Small Voice,” and similar bone-crushing workouts. The slink and churn of “Chaos Theory” veers into the hard-chopping rhythms of “On Broken Wings” before settling into the stomping balladry of “Ecstasy.” Frontman Leroy Hamp dives into this musical maelstrom with a crusader’s fervor, howling down the demons of fear and doubt with an urgency you can feel. Cogent and compelling, this is the work of a band at the top of their game.