Age of Ruin is one of those bands, I'm sure you know the type: an American metal band that emulates the style of European metal bands and gains the hatred of all the "true" metal fans who hate everything that isn't Swedish. "Longer Winters Woes" is the band's final release before they move on to Eulogy Recordings. Age of Ruin primarily focuses on the speedy melodic metal side of things, but with this EP they show they're not afraid to change things up a bit.

You'll still find a the speedy melodic passages here and there, but the band has interjected slower, more deliberate parts as well. The guitar work is as impressive as it should be from a band of this type. The blazing high string riffs and the slower, heavier parts are both done well. You'll find the occasional accoustic part as well, but don't expect to hear any whiney, out of place singing from this band. There are also heavy breakdowns that sound like they could blow out your speakers if you weren't careful.

In the lyrical department this band goes in the familiar dark, pseudo-gothic direction. Lines like "Relinquish all hope in ever being saved, we dwell in false pretense that decides our lives. Black eyes bleed, tears fall, long forgotten" make of think of what AFI would sound like if they played metal. You might find these lyrics scribbled down on the back of some depressed kid's notebook, but they fit the dark mood of the EP fairly well.

If you like bands in the vein of In Flames or Darkest Hour, you'd probably atleast moderately enjoy Age of Ruin. This is a band that's still trying to find it's identity, but with this release they're showing traces of creativity and building their own style.