As a first review for 2017, I hope this is not a portent of the year itself and its intentions for me because this debut by Glasgow’s Ashenspire is a most awkward thing to review. Most awkward. As a debut you expect influences to be worn neatly, freshly, stitched to sleeves; you hope for confidence and competence in musicianship and execution; you search for glimpses of individuality and personality to push through later. All this you look for to offer encouragement.
Well the first thing here is that Code666 don’t sign bands lacking in confidence or musical chops, so Ashenspire can be safely lauded there. They approach their progressive, psychedelic infused black metal with aplomb and not a little dexterity. Piano, violin and guitars swirl nicely together. The arrangements are complex and quite nicely balanced, very well done for any band. They get a nice production courtesy of Greg Chandler. Yes, a lovely sound for a debut.
Go to their Facebook page and the bands they like are a suitably progressive and eclectic bunch on the whole. And here on the debut if you look hard you can hear little flecks of Vampillia and DHG, maybe a little flurry of EbonyLake too. Really though the issue for me is how much, how very much, they sound like A Forest Of Stars a couple of albums ago. From the half ranted half gibbering vocals wrapping themselves around tortuous words and arcane analogies, to the possessed fiddle flowing across the guitar it sounds so close. Add in song titles such as ‘Mariners At Perdition’s Lighthouse’, ‘Grievous Bodily Harmonies’ the title track itself and a way of addressing the world in terms redolent with arcane faux Victoriana it gets a little difficult to ignore. It does not have the Gentleman’s Club touch with songwriting and atmosphere, too often getting a little lost in dark, dancing circles within circles, and diversions which seem too often to have to travel back on themselves to find the themes again, but the sound is plain.
On the plus side, again, Ashenspire’s likes and influences offer the prospect of their future sound being limited only by their imaginations and here on the debut you can just, perhaps, see what might be if they follow those other sparks too.
As it is though, because of the overt sound here, I’ll take this as akin to a demo. Promising, very much so, and with kudos for not following any herd but needing much more of their own sound before I’ll jump on board.
See what you think, though.
(5/10 Gizmo)
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