Art Brute
On the 22nd February this year our friends in Ashen Crown announced over t’internet that their debut album, Obsolescence, is available on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. So me being the nosy old bat that I am went over to have a rummage. A victory at Metal for the Masses secured them a richly deserved place at Bloodstock 2017 and we now find ourselves absorbing the brutal beats from darkest Brum. Globally known as the Home of Metal it is no surprise that our bands are taking up the gauntlet, and carrying this legacy well into the future. In a week that saw the death of L G Petrov, it is only fitting that I should be writing about the death/extreme genre. Usually given a back seat, as the content and delivery can be quite graphic and unruly, this is an ideal opportunity to take a dip in here and immerse yourselves.
The bell, an instrument of merriment and also of suspense begins this eight track delve into the age old dominions to extract what is faithful to the cause and nurture it so it may flourish and gain the respect and attention that eludes it. All the characteristics of death metal are here, you could say you’ve heard it before but this attitude will relegate music not elevate it.
‘Ultimatum’ comes in at 2.30 with a riff that I will need help carrying, are you, my friends, fit for this role?
‘Blood Beneath Us’ ushers you to follow your path, follow the stench of decay, until 2.49 when the female of the species reveals herself, operatic and atmospheric.
The record motors along at dizzying speeds, a deathly passion erupting from every pore, a significant and important step forward in the advancement of a musical blunt force trauma.
Maybe acceptance alone isn’t the answer, but the head that wears the Ashen Crown knows its capacity and ability. If the ‘Fall of Thine Eyes’ can help you see ‘Under the Leaves’ then you will be able to see the wood for the trees and halt the process of obsolescence.
Ashen Crown – Obsolescence out now.