Ares

Ares is a Japanese melodic death metal band formed in Kobe in 2003 by brothers Yasushi and Takeshi Higashimura. The duo founded the project immediately following their departure from the influential melodic death metal act Serpent, a move that significantly shaped Ares' sonic identity.

Their sound is a refined continuation of the 'Kobe melodic death' style, characterized by a heavy reliance on neoclassical lead guitar work, dual-harmony arrangements, and a distinctively tragic melodic sensibility. Unlike the more groove-oriented Swedish scene, Ares prioritizes high-tempo technicality and intricate composition. Their discography, including 'The Advent' (2008) and 'Mother Earth to Father Sky' (2018), showcases a commitment to high-fidelity production that highlights the clarity of their guitar work. Critically, they are respected as torchbearers for a specific niche of Japanese extreme metal that blends the aggression of death metal with the harmonic sophistication of power metal and classical music. Their influence is most felt within the domestic Japanese underground, though they maintain a dedicated global following among melodic death metal purists.