Band:	Golden Ashes
Album:	Gold Are The Ashes Of The Restorer
Style:	Atmospheric black metal, Post-metal
Release date:	May 10, 2019
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

01. The All Consuming Light Of Eternal Death
02. Sweltering And Swarming Towards Infinity
03. Gold Are The Ashes Of The Restorer
04. The Uniform Sombreness
05. Drifting Slowly Through The Portal Of Sorrow Towards The Void Of Death
06. Wanderer Of The Eternal Forest
07. Seven Bodies Before I Reach Divinity
08. The Charred Gates Of Benevolence

Given such a singular style of playing and composing, we should start talking about "Mories metal".

Yes, this is another project by Maurice de Jong. It has always been a pleasure to explore his works almost every year, to dissect the style of the current project and go beyond what the wall of sound provides at first. In that aspect, this is one of his richer projects. With so many to name here, it has become a necessity to compare Golden Ashes to other projects done by him instead of works from other people.

So how does this one stand out? Well, the closest possible link would be the grand ecstatic energy from the earliest Seirom material. It does carry a similar blissful, gentle atmosphere to it despite the noisy nature of the project. The dream-like production of Golden Ashes's debut is misty, bass-y, and very organic. That being said, the overall structure of the songs is more akin to black metal and packs a rather bombastic sound. The work on the drum machine is mostly limited to chaotic blastbeats. It can be very simple most of the time, but it provides a proper framework for the massive wall of sound to stand on. Mories's trademark screeches work perfectly to balance the otherworldly beauty of the melodies, giving it a touch of despair.

But what is the defining factor that makes this project stand out, you ask? Well, the synths, of course! On top of the raging drum machine, sickening vocals, and fuzzy guitars are the heaviest synths imaginable. They are so prominent with their otherworldly melodies that they nearly drown most aspects of the album. Is it a bad thing? Hell no! To think that would be missing the point of this release. This album gives the listener the task to dive deep beyond the synths and discover all these little sounds and textures happening all around you. In that sense, Gold Are The Ashes Of The Restorer ends up being the audio equivalent of those Magic Eye books where you have to really focus and change your perspective in order for things to pop out.

With just 35 minutes, this is an album that does not overstay its welcome. One could ask himself why the songs themselves are not longer, though. Some of the tracks end somewhat abruptly and they do not differ all too much from each other. Perhaps fewer and longer songs would be able to hold the trance better next time? All in all, the premise is basic, but the feelings are not. Thanks to masterful mixing and texturing, Golden Ashes feels almost like an out-of-body experience where you watch the shiny Earth through all its different glorious phases just like in the beautiful artwork.

Let the consuming light of eternal death guide you.