Ash of Ashes – Traces
Ash of Ashes – Traces
Kalthallen Tonträger / Lichtpfade
Release Date: 13/05/22
Running Time: 40:26
Review by Rory Bentley
9/10
When I picked out the new Ash of Ashes release “Traces” from the review schedule my gut told me it would be a good time. My gut has, of course, steered me in the wrong direction before but the promise of Skaldic Metal was too tempting to resist. Having spent the last few months buried in Norse mythology, culminating in a euphoric time watching the violence and mysticism of Robert Egger’s latest cinematic masterpiece ‘The Northman’, I’m all about that Viking life, and I’m delighted to say that unlike that ill-advised trip to a questionable chicken establishment after an all-dayer at the weekend, my gut was bang on the money here.
I’ll cut to the chase- this is great! Combining elements of Black Metal, Pagan Folk and tons of melody, this German project is a masterclass in composition and execution of concept. The influence of Bathory and Moonsorrow is palpable throughout with an ethereal, arcane atmosphere enveloping melancholic, rousing melodies.
‘Beyond White Waters’ sets the tone with a pastoral backdrop and choral chants that wouldn’t be out of place on a Wardruna album before thundering into the comforting familiarity of Black and Folk Metal in the triumphant ‘Under the Midnight Sun’. The song is packed with catchy lead lines, commanding harsh vocals and a rich, warm clean vocal that soars over the music without having to resort to helium histrionics that would have tipped things into a jarring Power Metal excursion that nobody needs to go on.
The huge strength of this record is the ability to pack tons of ideas into progressive compositions that somehow stay within a palatable runtime. The punchy 40 minutes of “Traces” shows the level of painstaking self-editing that has gone into making these songs, everything on here feels grand and epic without stretching even the most casual listener’s patience, yet it never feels slight or undercooked. It’s a compositional trick that borders on pure sorcery!
Special mention goes to the gorgeous production job here as well. There’s a radiant warmth to everything that feels earthy and raw without sacrificing clarity and accessibility. The gorgeous closing ballad ‘To Those Long Forgotten’ allows every voice and subtle guitar line its own space in the mix without any element overpowering the other, as if you’re in the chieftain’s hall swaying your drinking horn and honouring those that have spilled their blood in glorious battle to sit at Odin’s table. Sorry, got a bit carried away there.
I could pick out highlight after highlight, but cliché as it sounds, the album is best experienced as a cohesive whole. This is the point where you high five me for not calling it a ‘journey’ like an absolute bellend. But in all seriousness each track seamlessly flows into the next and listening to one song in isolation, despite each standing alone on its own merit, doesn’t give you the full impact that it has as part of the wider record.
You’ve seen the score, you know what a miserable bastard I am and how I don’t like anything, so surely that should be enough to convince you to go in on this one. Hang on I need to pull a stirring closing line out of my arse in case the band wants to quote the review. Gimme a sec…ok got it!
This is a glorious, majestic record that will have you sobbing into your mead one minute and swinging your axe the next. Not my best work.
‘Into Eternity’ Official Lyric Video
TRACKLISTING:
01. Beyond White Waters
02. Under the Midnight Sun
03. Into Eternity
04. The Eternal Traveller
05. Evermore
06. Vem kan segla förutan vind
07. A Lion Guards Our Names
08. Southbound
09. To Those Long Forgotten
LINE-UP:
Skaldir – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
Morten – lyrics, vocals
Stryx – Drums
Sethras – Guitars
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rory Bentley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
