Despite its name, death metal never dies. It’s always relevant but has had a resurgence over the last few years with a crop of newer bands bringing forth the corpses of the past, along with established acts doing the same. There’s no substitute for the old-school sound championed by Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, and the like. Sometimes a new band comes along, bringing youthful energy and putting together the pieces of a great death metal album. Ashen is one of those bands.
Ashen appeared on my radar when Ritual of Ash, their first full-length, was released in early 2023. It was self-released, they’re from Australia, and it took a long time to receive the CD in the mail. They made it worth my while as they all signed it and sent a CD copy of their previous EP as well. I’m grateful and surprised they are now signed with Redefining Darkness out of my home state.
My favorite track, “Void Within,” instantly makes me think of Dismember because of the intro. The vocals certainly give me that same vibe. There’s doom injected throughout with a great hook and a killer riff. It’s just a well-constructed, heavy, and impactful death metal song. There’s not much more that needs to be said.
The compelling title track, “Leave the Flesh Behind” precedes “Void Within,” and has a more frenetic pace. The riffs are no less meaty, though. Its swarming, main verse riff will have no problem getting the ones who are still fortunate enough to have hair, windmilling it. There’s still some doom present in the chorus. Except for those moments, it’s full speed ahead.
Earlier in the album is “Ancestral Gate,” which gives you one of the rare glimpses of an ambient soundscape, but the riff that immediately follows seems to say; “Enough with that shit.” The devastating riff leads into easily the best hook on the album. With less than a minute, a stank face riff takes over, then another hook right before it’s over.
To close it out is “Blood Offering,” and it’s almost “djenty.” Don’t freak out, though, as I said “almost.” It’s still heavy to the point of being nearly chaotic. In the last minute, there is another doomy riff with some spoken word over it before the album ends with some brief electronic/industrial sounds.
As I mentioned at the beginning of the review, this is a great death metal album that offers something for everyone. It took a while to resonate with me, even though I knew it was good immediately. I’m really excited for these dudes to hook up with Redefining Darkness, which will hopefully bring some of the praise they deserve. A US tour is probably out of the question, and honestly, why would they even want to come here, so I couldn’t blame them. However, if they’re anywhere near me, I guarantee I will be there. As for the album, it should be in your playlist or in your hands very soon.
