Ashen Horde started off as a one-man band, however, to aid the progression of the band, this is now a four-piece outfit. With Trevor from Abhoria on guitars and clean vocals, Stevie from Inferi and Equipoise on harsh vocals, Robin from Norse on drums and Igor from Abhoria on bass, this has allowed the band to branch wider and darker.
If your next question is how wide and how dark, then let me elaborate. Firstly, this album cannot be pigeonholed into a nice, neat genre. Blending Black Metal with Death Metal and then throwing in Tech Death and a little Prog there is certainly a ‘no one size fits all’ approach to the songs on the album.
The album itself is 10 tracks that span 51 minutes and it’s fair to say that the whole 51 minutes has something different. From the instrumental intro and into ‘The Throes of Agony’ you will swiftly become aware of the different styles that Ashe Horde are comfortable exploring and not just that, very good at performing.
No matter which tracks you are listening to you will notice that there is a groove that appears at some point, but this by no means takes away from the harshness of the Black or Death metal aspects. The way that the styles blend together and complement each other is a tribute to the band and shows just how comfortable they are in performing what they feel.
Whether it be blistering drums, scorching guitars a harsh vocal or something a little easier to join with, Antimony has it all. There is an unpredictability that goes along with it all, for example, you might not expect the intro to ‘The Barrister’ and then throughout the track, you may be taken aback a little, but that is what Ashen Horde bring to the table.
As previously stated, this cannot be popped into a genre box, therefore I can’t recommend to fans anything specific. However, I can recommend this pretty far and wide as it will have something for any fan of metal. Whether you like the heavier, darker or more prog aspects then you will find what’s your bag in here. Alternatively, forget your labels and just press play and enjoy what is a very good album that shows off the new lineup of the band perfectly and just experiences what they have managed to create.
Antimony will be released Friday 27th January 2023 via Transcending Obscurity Records.
Ed Ford
Tracklist
1.Summoning
2.The Throes of Agony
3.The Consort
4.The Barrister
5.The Physician
6.The Courtesan
7.The Disciple
8.The Neophyte
9.Animus Nocendi
10.Knives (Bonus)
Online
https://ashenhordeband.bandcamp.com