Rising - To Solemn Ash - review
Rising - To Solemn Ash - review
Tracklist
01. Mausoleum02. Sea Of Basalt
03. The Vault
04. Cohorts Rise
05. Hunter's Crown
06. Through The Eyes Of Catalysis
07. Under Callous Wings
08. Passage
09. Heir To The Flames
10. Seven Riders
A review by
BitterCOld September 28, 2011
So what do we get from their first proper album? More of the same. And while "more of the same" is oft a derogatory term for a band out of ideas that churns out a color-by-numbers version of their prior work, in this instance it can be interpreted as a good thing.
After a four-song appetizer and a two track amuse-bouche, enough just to tempt us, it's about damned time they put out a 10 track main course to sate our appetites.
So that's the more of it, and the same of it is the approach? it's largely fast-paced, pedal to the metal sludge. Whereas a lot of the American sludge-derivatives such as Mastodon, Kylesa, and Baroness have all gone "light" and incorporated 70's prog and effects into their tunes, Rising still pound out visceral and powerful tunes.
Take the main riff to "Sea Of Basalt" for example. I realize there is nothing particularly complicated about palm-muted chugging of the low-E (or whatever) string, but it's the way these guys do it that makes me want to go all "Jersey Shore Mike" and slam my head into ? no, through? a fucking wall.
Most of the songs on To Solemn Ash have that mix of sludgish power crossbred with punk velocity and aggression. The production perhaps has the vocals (which sound a little off on occasion) a bit to the fore, but still does a great job in capturing the band attacking their instruments. Jacob Johansen batters his kit with police batons in place of drumsticks, while Jacob Krogholt and Henrik Hald play guitar and bass (respectively) strung with barbed wire with broken glass plectrums.
A couple of the longer tracks like "Cohorts Rise" slow down the tempo and are a bit more expansive. It's a great way to prematurely break up potential monotony of constant pounding, and allows your family time to bandage your gaping head wound and check for concussion-like symptoms before the next track, "Hunter's Crown" or "Passage" inspires another round of cerebral wall molestation.
Damned good first effort that lives up to the expectations set by their MSA winning Legacy Of Wolves EP.
Now if you'll pardon me, Mrs. COld has to take me to the Emergency Room? theems imm sssslurrringgg werdz anndd bleeeeding thru mybandagee onnntooo my keyboarrddd? anyone know a good drywall guy for when I get out of intensive care?
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 28.09.2011 by
Written on 28.09.2011 by
BitterCOld has been officially reviewing albums for MetalStorm since 2009. Comments
Comments:
9
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Posts: 21306
I'd take Rising's darker, pounding sludge over that of Baroness and the likes. I still haven't heard this one, but it'll definitely snake its way into my top 50 of the year if it sounds anything like you describe.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 702  |
Posts: 702
I only listened to the two tracks on their website. Solid, heavy stuff, generally, but the punkish leanings put me off big time. I suppose, if you like this, then it might be an 8, but it's pretty derivative stuff, imo.
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Posts: 6941
VERY excited for this one. I remember a few amazing bands in the Clandestine Cut award category last year and it's awesome to see stuff happening for the deserving ones. Solid, heavy sludge with punk leanings? You're speaking my language 
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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Posts: 15358 Written by Merchant of Doom on 28.09.2011 at 11:17 might be derivative, but is well played derivative that sounds really good. i like the raw, visceral nature of the music and their penchant for creating some crunching riffs.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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Posts: 702 Written by BitterCOld on 28.09.2011 at 18:12 I do listen to "derivative" stuff, don't get me wrong... but I didn't like some aspects of their music either, so it wasn't enjoyable derivative music for me...
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Posts: 21306
Got around to this (things like this are so much easier now that I have a sound card and Youtube access), and I must say this is a kickass album, described more than accurately in your review. Through the Eyes of Catalysis - best song for me. Can't get enough of it.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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Posts: 15358 Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.10.2011 at 05:33 glad you liked it.
---- get the fuck off my lawn. Beer Bug Virus Spotify Playlist crafted by Nikarg and I. Feel free to tune in and add some pertinent metal tunes!
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