My first full review just in time for you to rock it out on NYE is from Ashen Crown, a band that, while not new to the scene having been killing it on the UK circuit for the past three years, have just released their debut album. The 5 piece death metal outfit from West Midlands County refuse to be pigeonholed as simply another death metal outfit. They speak about their various influences openly, from Gojira to Bolt Thrower, and it is quite obvious in their music.
While such a melting pot of inspiration may leave some scratching their heads as to how it may work, Ashen Crown have woven it into a sound that crushes, rages, uplifts and tears the world down. The band brought it all and left it on the proverbial floor which is their debut, Obsolescence.
Obsolescence, weighing in at 8 tracks with a play time of just under 44 minutes, is a masterclass of what to do to cement yourself as a true force to be reckoned with in a scene that is full of other bands trying to do the same. Ashen Crown have somehow made something that is full of nasty riffs sound incredibly beautiful.
Jay and Ste on the guitars range from good ole galloping riffs to intricately woven pieces. Mike's percussiveness on the drums gets right into your head and makes you want to march to war, or maybe dance, or maybe just run in a fucking circle. Phil's bass playing is phenomenal as he adds a needed depth to the whole. The way Kieran handles the growling style that has truly found a home in the death metal genre is right up there with veterans in the game, like Francesco Paoli from Fleshgod Apocalypse, or Riley McShane from Allegaeon.
The first track Unbroken Faith starts with some ambient rain sounds, then a church bell starts to toll and some spoken words are in the background speaking of the destruction to come. Then the band just kicks it off with true heaviness, and it doesn't let up. "Crimson Sea" starts off with a thunder of drums, and you feel like starting a circle pit right in your living room.
Every single track on the album is a certified killer, sure, but the track that stands out the most to myself is Blood Beneath Us. While I love a straightforward circle pit igniter as much as the next metalhead, as soon as the female operatic vocals came into play I had to immediately stop what I was doing and just listen. And that right there is the beauty of Ashen Crown. If it sounds awesome, and if there's a way they can make it their own, they will. I'll be looking forward to seeing them if they make it across the water to the US!
If they sound like something you'd dig, be sure to check them out on Spotify, YouTube and support them so they can continue to bring their music to the masses.
Hail Metal
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