ASHEN – Ritual of Ash
Release Date: 13th January 2023
Label: Bitter Loss Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, OSDM.
FFO: Entombed, Bloodbath, Dismember, Grave, Necrot, Unleashed.
Review By: Rick Farley
The explosion of popularity for old school death metal over the last few years has really put some big time spotlight on a few of the genre’s newest and finest bands. At this point, it’s become so commonplace, I’m not even sure that it should even be regarded as OSDM any more. Though, for my money, I’m putting it on the line and claiming that ASHEN is and will be one of those top death metal bands in 2023. Just as the buzz for Undeath, 200 Stab Wounds and Frozen Soul is high, Ashen hailing from Perth, Australia is about to release their debut full length, Ritual of Ash on Bitter Loss Records that’s bound to cause some serious fucking stir in the death community. It’s just a matter of getting the proper spotlight. So, buckle your pansy ass in, and be prepared to be bulldozed by this brutal slab of death metal.
Ritual hits you like a hammer with soul crushing grooves and fast double kick. The track sounds like the evil nephew of Bloodbath and Morbid Angel. You know this record is going to be wicked. Vocalist Richard Clements booming, low-end growls are nothing short of fucking brutal. His gutturals and screams have surprising personality and is possibly the best new pure death metal vocalist I’ve heard in a while. Heavy buzzsaw guitar tone, plundering bass and excellent cymbal work makes this track stand out immediately. Track two Deadsight takes the brutalising route of speedily battering the air out of your lungs with powerful tremolo picked riffs, fast thrash beat drumming and tribalistic fills. There’s really no mercy until the guitars completely drop out, letting the bass and drums slow groove before completely stomping your chest cavity in. Bassist Josh Harris and drummer Ben Mazzarol are a punishing rhythm section hacking, twisting, and grooving underneath the frenetic axe work of guitarist Shannon Over.
ASHEN has tons of familiarity within their sound, but remains distinctive. Their influences do show, but it blends all together effortlessly, while also showing some modern swagger. Blood is a great example of this. It sounds like an evolution of OSDM. Slightly muted chord strumming, that’s reminiscent of doomy sludge metal, just clearly not melancholy or overly grim. Even the tight chugging with unique melodic accents have chord arrangement that sound more contemporary. It’s something to be heard rather than explained. Another musical element of Ritual of Ash is the influence you hear from Unleashed, which brings some Viking metal stomp to the pillage. Cursed Rebirth sounds like the battle between Fenrir and Odin. Brutal, heavy, and fucking epic. Super crunchy grooves, force neck breaking and severe pit violence. Venomous grisly vocals, scorching riffs with chainsaw distortion and background choir synths show energetic melodies full of wrath and vengeance.
Ritual of Ash is straight up a killer chunk of no nonsense old school death metal that brings more than just mere influence. From front to back, this record fucking jams. Filled with a natural timeless feel that’s classic, but on the edge of bringing some of the old forward. Grittiness mixed with spine ripping speed and groovy heaviness. The best of Swedish and Florida death metal by way of Perth, Australia in 2023. ASHEN is a band on the rise and quite possibly a new benchmark for modern OSDM. Make this band heard.
(4.5 / 5)
