Ingested – Ashes Lie Still
Release Date: 4th November 2022
Label: Metal Blade Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Brutal Death Metal, Slam, Deathcore.
FFO: Vulvodynia, Acrania, Signs of the Swarm, Aborted, Analepsy.
Review By: Rick Farley
One of the most brutal death metal bands to come out of the U.K. in quite some time, Manchester, England’s Ingested is back with album number six, AshesLie Still. Formed in 2006, the band unleashed their critically acclaimed debut album Surpassing the Boundaries of Human Suffering in 2009. Known for their savage live shows, the bands brand of brutality has become one of England’s finest extreme metal offerings. Now trimmed down to a three-piece, vocalist Jason Evans, drummer Lyn Jeffs, and guitarist/backing vocalist Sean Hynes feel they’re in the best place the band’s ever been, enabling them to work at the top of their game. With all the band members on the same page, does Ashes Lie Still keep pace with the best of their discography?
Fucking right it does. It’s not like this was an easy decision, either. I’ve had some time to really ingest this album (see what I did there) and I conclude that this is the best Ingested album to date. This is a hulking beast, the musical equivalent of a fifty-foot Megalodon gracefully heaving towards predatory domination. The brutal death metal, monster slams, deathcore elements and small tinges of black still shine through as always. Ashes Lie Still is not an evolution, but rather a level up in sound. The songs are better written and feel cohesive, while still bringing daring and creative elements that make the brutality even more effective. From track one to track ten, forty-three minutes of metallic riffs, crushing grooves, low gutturals, and artillery blast drumming, battering everyone within an inch of their life.
Being no strangers to guest vocals, Ingested really upped the holy shit factor with Sven de Caluwé of Aborted fame, on From Hollow Words. The track is fast-paced and fucking savage, with Jason and Sven trading vocals back and forth like two snarling demons. This is an infernal hellfest right from the start, never relenting its viciousness. The title track Ashes Lie Still, which lyrically was penned by Hynes, is about his father dying during the pandemic and not being able to say goodbye. This is something that hits home with me as I experienced the same thing with my mother, as I’m sure many of you can relate as well. Julia Frau lends her hauntingly beautiful voice to create some dream like chorus passages over heavy atmospheric chords while Sean growls his tormented lyrics. It’s very ethereal and has a healing effect, in between what is a dark and metallic riffed song. Trivium’s Matt Heafy lends his signature pipes to All I’ve Lost. A beast of a track that builds to a hellish chorus hook and menacing symphonic elements. The chugging ruthlessness of Shadows in Time is a hair swirling double bass kill machine with ominous atmospheric moments that make this track truly a standout. The whammy squeals over a gargantuan riff towards the end emphasizes the coolness factor times ten. Just fucking sick.
To reiterate, everything you love about Ingested is fully represented here, the core of sledgehammering riffs, brutish grooves, and dynamic harsh vocals remains intact. Powerful and atmospheric at times with unique elements that keep everything fresh and interesting. A thick modern production brings out the crushing nature of how the band’s music hits. With high replayability, Ashes Lie Still easily stands as the bands pinnacle release to date. 
(4.5 / 5)
