Ashaena has nothing to do with any NSBM organization or ideology. Ashaena is just paying a tribute to their ancestors and their traditions and culture. We are combining our musical paths with folk elements taken from our rich tradition. Regarding the Polish label EastSide we've signed with, this is only a deal for producing our first album and we are getting along very well because they are promoting pagan and folk oriented bands. Again, we have nothing to do with any NSBM affiliation that this label has.
Ashaena plays pagan/heathen metal influenced by Romanian folklore, with black metal elements and with a lot of influences belonging to the native, Romanian mythology. They describe their style as Moldavian Pagan Metal.
The band started as a solo project of Cosmin Hultanu in 2006. Firstly he recruited his brother Alex (drums), then Adi Gherghe (lead guitar), Tudor Napasta (bass) and Vlad Vuiet (screaming/growling and backing vocals). After the first rehearsals with the full line-up, Adi was replaced with Vlad Datcu due to style incompatibility. After that Maximilian Lupu would become the keyboardist of the band, but right before the first concert, he left Ashaena not being able to rehearse with the band.
Andrei Ignat (violin) came to replace Max for the concert, but he also left the band soon after that.
Current line-up:
Cosmin Hultanu - rhythm guitar, clean vocals, pipes and flutes
Mos Alex Strechia - drums and percussion
In February 2008, Ashaena entered the Negura Music Studio to record its first official material. It is to be called "Cei Nascuti din Pamânt - The Ones Born from the Soil" and contains 9 tracks separated by 9 interludes called "vami - borders", as in Vamile Vazduhului - Borders of the Air. The album shall be available to the public in the begining of the next year.
By its music, Ashaena seek for honoring and thanking to the ancestors, promoting the Romanian traditions and to keep alive those having breathed their last for this land.