EP Review: Chaos Revealed - Foretold In Ashes (2026)

Written: 31st December 2026

Chaos Revealed is a newly formed melodic death metal project from Munich, Germany formed by duo Konstantin Schäffer (vocals, guitars, bass) and Alexander Lankes (drums). Foretold In Ashes, which comprises five songs over almost thirty minutes, is their debut EP and explores fate, mortality and the illusion of control.

Opening track Mortal begins with deep synths, an ominous echoing and the sounds of creaking doors eliciting a mysterious atmosphere that is deepened by a female spoken voice section. One thread / The cosmic order of billions / A child, born in the abyss / To defy the unknown truth. This aura is instantly broken when, in powerful tandem, Chaos Revealed attack with machine-gun riffs and tempestuous drums. Konstantin Schäffer’s vocals are raw and aggressive and delivered with real belief, varying from more typical melodic death metal style vocals to true guttural growls. Mortal is a defiant anthem against predestination and explores humanity’s struggle with cosmic insignificance. Save your lives / Armageddon materialized / From within the lies  / Of the wretched in disguise. A wonderful balance between the melodic elements - such as the delightful guitar solo, the serrated chaos of the rapid riffs and the maelstrom of bass and drums - makes for a potent combination.

Burning Skies, a fiery critique of civilisation’s fragility and hypocrisy, continues the pounding percussive attack. Throughout the song, clean vocals trade blows with intense shrieks and deeper growls. The varying vocals show just how comfortable Schäffer is with a range of styles and this helps maintain the listener’s interest. Hints of black metal embellishments and tremolo riffs make an appearance during the track and this adds further diversity to the EP. For a band in its infancy, there is a confidence in the music and as the track accelerates towards its conclusion, Chaos Revealed have certainly made an impact with the first two tracks of Foretold In Ashes.

As the EP progresses, the duo continue to show signs of experimentation and genre-blending. Some progressive, thrash and metalcore characteristics reveal themselves. No One Above is the most consistently unyielding song; the layered vocals and rampant guitar and bass making five minutes pass by in what seems like no time at all. In a different vein, The One Who Sees builds quickly from a quiet, melodic introduction to savage grooves to all out vehemence and then proceeds to blend these aspects in what is my favourite track on the EP.

At seven and a half minutes, final track The Plague is the longest on Foretold In Ashes. Exploring the concept that fate is cruel, it mocks the divine but holds humanity responsible. The choice of death or betrayal / Disgraced to the one I have failed / Doomed to be lending a hand /To the downfall / Billions of lives offered up on the shrine / For the chosen to live in pristine paradise. The Plague combines all the different musical aspects to be found elsewhere including a melodic interlude (that in some ways is redolent of similar early Metallica moments) that uses female vocals to add a contrast that deepens the sense of tragedy and elevates the song’s emotional intensity. Disciple, heed my voice / My promise, not salvation / But a choice / Collect these blades / And decimate / The jesters’ savagery shall fade / And humanity prevail. Being a duo, Chaos Revealed need to make use of overdubs and they do this, on the whole, extremely effectively. There are times where the growling and clean vocals overlap adding both a feral and a harmonic surge.

For a first release, there is a striking sense of purpose here. Fans of In Flames, Orbit Culture, Sylosis, Arch Enemy, The Halo Effect, Scar Symmetry and even Trivium should find something to interest them. Yes, familiar hallmarks of the genre surface but they are woven with a freshness that keeps things compelling. The production is razor-sharp with every layer balanced and Konstantin Schäffer’s vocal range from guttural depths to soaring cleans never falters. Accessible on the surface yet rewarding with repeated listens, this is a formidable opening statement from a band ready to carve its own path.

Foretold In Ashes is released on 9th January 2026.

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