I've been following this band via Bandcamp and their first couple of independent releases, both of which were very rough but showed potential. Cruz del Sur sub label Gates of Hell Records has picked the band up for their debut album and their support has helped Chariots Overdrive take the next step. The guitar work has always been the band's strength and that continues with great tones and solid riffs. The improved production has allowed the rough vocals to find their place, and the result is a sort of cross between the direct aggression of Motörhead's punky metal and the smoothness of Iron Maiden with just a hint of epic flair. Some of the tracks from the earlier demos ("A Taikonautic Alchemist," "Parasite," and "Nomadic Warfare") have been brought back for The End of Antiquity and mix well with tracks we haven't heard before, like "Chariots Overdrive" and the lengthy closer "A Bizarre Pilgrimage to the Cubik Mansion." What I really like about Chariots Overdrive is that while they are firmly traditional metal, with the requisite influences, they don't sound like too many other bands. This is a band that could develop into something unique so if you dig traditional heavy metal that doesn't sound like everything else, now is the time to get on the Chariots Overdrive bandwagon.