Dutch black metal project, Golden Ashes, was founded in 2018 by Maurice De Jong (also known as Mories of Gnaw Their Tongues) and has since released two EPs and two albums, which is an incredibly busy output for just two years. However, for those already familiar with Maurice’s work, this will come as no surprise, his other projects churn out releases at the same pace; it’s clear De Jong is an individual with a lot of creativity to express. Ordinarily, his releases err on the side of experimental noise, whereas Golden Ashes is the most straightforward black metal that he’s released since Gnaw Their Tongues’ earliest material.

Much like Golden Ashes’ previous opuses, ‘In the Lugubrious…” is centred on incredibly lo-fi production quality, while being hazy and atmospheric. The synths do most of the heavy lifting for every song, while the guitar and drums feel so inconsequential you end up wondering what the point of them being there in the first place is. Likewise, the vocals are placed so low in the mix that most of the time you have to strain to hear them. This is an album that’s been constructed in such a basic fashion it borders on lazy, and there’s almost no discernible difference between each song – this entire record could essentially just be one 36 minute piece.

Despite all of this, there’s an air of intrigue and what Maurice has cobbled together here hasn’t been done badly, it just doesn’t offer up an awful lot. Between the monotonous tempo, overpowering synths and barely there vocals and guitar, you’re left to wonder if perhaps this one man band is having a joke at his listeners’ expense. Either way, quality over quantity is something that Golden Ashes would do well to acknowledge.

(5/10 Angela Davey)

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https://gnawtheirtongues.bandcamp.com/album/in-the-lugubrious-silence-of-eternal-night