Chariots Overdrive â The End of Antiquity Review
By Andy-War-Hall
Manilla Road, Motörhead, and Megaton Sword walk into a barâLemmyâs pick, if that helps you picture the place. Someone yells, âcops outside!â The word âcopsâ clears the room faster than napalm ever could. Stampede. The bands are swept up in the deluge of bodies, bewildered and sweaty. Amidst the chaos, several shuffle into a nearby van. Driving off, they realize that 1) these arenât their bandmates, 2) this is DiâAnno-era Iron Maidenâs van with their keys and all their equipment left inside, and 3) they picked up Dropkick Murphys somewhere along the way. If this hypothetical group decided to run with it, they would sound like Chariots Overdrive. Hailing from Beijing, China, and currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia, these adherents of the NWoBHM sound old as dirt on their debut, The End of Antiquity, injecting fantastical lyricism inspired by Chinese history and folklore into their mix. But can this van/chariot go the distance, or has this ride seen its last mile?
The End of Antiquity is driven by allegiance to metal in the purest form, and Chariots Overdrive wield it with punk-like tenacity. Speed and belligerence rule The End of Antiquity, embodied in the full-band gang vocals of âMarching Maniacsâ and the Dead Kennedys-like discordance of âParasite.â The belts and snarls singer G.H.Z uses on âA Taikonautic Alchemistâ and âChariots Overdriveâ1 would fit as well with Rancid as they do here, and their guitars and bass evoke the aforementioned early Maiden years in the punkish bite (âThe End of Antiquityâ). Bassist Z.Z.Y lays down aggressively clicky, highly melodic lines across The End of Antiquity, giving Chariots Overdrive a burly-yet-catchy streak akin to Steve Harrisâ playing and bolstering G.H.Z and Y.Zâs gnarly dual guitars and W.R.Câs punchy drums into a full-bodied declaration of victory. Chariots Overdrive feel rooted in the simple joy of throwing ragers with the boys, and The End of Antiquity is, if nothing else, a rager.
Chariots Overdrive donât overcomplicate anything, which is a boon and bane to The End of Antiquity. Most songs play around simple melodies over two to four chords. Guitar solos arenât flashy on The End of Antiquity, but theyâre incisive. When the outcome is exhilarating like âChariots Overdriveâ or Judas Priest-levels of catchy like âMarching Maniacs,â itâs hard to argue. But it also puts the onus of The End of Antiquityâs success on Chariot Overdriveâs performances, which can falter. G.H.Z isnât a powerhouse vocalist and sounds downright rough at times, especially where Chariot Overdrive attempt harmonization, such as the chorus of âA Taikonautic Alchemist.â It also means that, despite the albumâs lean runtime, The End of Antiquity sounds somewhat exhausted by the time âNomadic Warfareâ and the title track appear, as their hooks are comparatively weaker to the rest of the record. Iâm all for simplifying something for the sake of effectiveness, but whatâs left has to be as tight as you can make it. In this regard, Chariots Overdrive can improve.
What Chariots Overdrive need is a more refined identity. Like early Iron Maiden, Chariots Overdrive seem to strive towards a dirty-yet-sophisticated sound and theming, evidenced by the fingerstyle guitar and serene bass-and-piano interludes of âWhere Dust Reignsâ and âSunken Throb,â2 but these instrumentalsâ moods arenât matched or mirrored by the rest of the album and feel tacked-on as a result. The standout, 12-minute song âA Bizarre Pilgrimage to the Cubik Mansionâ hints at what Chariots Overdrive can do, as the band navigates artfully between Motörheadâs hyped-up rock nâ roll and Black Sabbathian gloomy doom.3 But the track buckles a bit under its weight by the end and feels done a few minutes before itâs over. Chariots Overdrive are engaging by grit and energy, but without a solid grasp on what exactly they are doing, The End of Antiquity can only be a fun-but-flawed work when taken as a whole.
The End of Antiquity has some flaws, but I still like where the Chariots Overdrive van is going. If you like any of the bands mentioned above itâs a safe bet youâll get something out of this. Thereâs obvious chemistry between the band, and their debut has plenty of good moments throughout that are both fun in the present and hint towards a stronger future. I donât want Chariots Overdrive to give up on what theyâre doing, but if they can merge their punk hooliganism with the finesse they aspire towards in the next album, itâll be a hit. Thereâs a lot of highway ahead, but this chariotâs got tread to spare yet.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 84 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Websites: chariotsoverdrive.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/chariotsoverdrive
Releases Worldwide: April 3rd, 20265
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