Skip to main content

Melodic Death Metal: Ablaze My Sorrow - Among Ashes and Monoliths (2021)

75 / 100
A surprisingly solid return that shows Ablaze My Sorrow experimenting with texture and pacing rather than trying to reclaim past melodic death metal glory.

Ah, we finally arrive at the last main chamber of Ablaze My Sorrow: Among Ashes and Monoliths, which I obtained through Black Lion Records. For their 2021 release, they faced rivals just as heavy—if not heavier—namely The Nightmare of Being by At The Gates, Torn Arteries by Carcass, and Coherence by Be’lakor. On top of that, there’s another vocalist change! This time: Jonas Udd.

I won’t touch on the album cover and will head straight into the music.

On the very first spin, “My Sorrow”—the opener that carries the band’s very name—was the only track that managed to lodge itself in my head, largely because of the synth that amplifies the atmosphere of anguish. Only after listening to “Black Waters” again to write this review did I start thinking that Ablaze My Sorrow would do extremely well shifting toward melodic death/doom, since it’s slower and combines two contrasting vocal styles typical of the genre. This suggestion is strengthened by “Her Cold Embrace,” which also features female clean vocals from Jonna Enckell, although Jonas’ harsh vocals do feel somewhat ill-fitting in a few other tracks, such as “At the Graves of Giants.” Then “The Cavernous Deep” breaks the monotony of the previous two songs with a flute-like intro and clean singing in its opening section.

Once my listening session concluded, I came to feel that this album is quite good, even though its score on AOTY.org is rather dismal—or at least, compared to Ablaze My Sorrow’s other releases. The lowest points for me are “At the Graves of Giants,” “Dark Chasms,” and “March of the Eldritch Spawn.” Now, does this automatically surpass Anger, Hate and Fury? For the umpteenth time, I’m not sure, as I’m no longer standing firmly on the pure melodeath side but on doom metal territory instead. So, I think you know the conclusion. Hahaha...

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Terima kasih telah berkomentar. Usahakan untuk menjaga sopan santun.

Popular posts from this blog

Breakcore: Subheroine - End. (2025)

77 / 100 End. is Subheroine ’s most immersive and emotionally textured work yet ... Is being a week late enough to make a new release feel cold and stale? Maybe it’s the effect of our fast-paced modern world and the FOMO trend. Who knows. Whatever. Alright then, let’s welcome a new breakcore/drum & bass album (though it runs under 30 minutes) from Subheroine : End. ! End. by SUBHEROINE Released just on November 7 via Japan’s veteran breakcore label, Lost Frog Productions , End . delivers a noticeably more atmospheric vibe this time. So, tagging it as atmospheric drum & bass makes perfect sense, while the “depressive” tag seems to apply only to the cover art. But is that really the case? As always, there are surprises when reviewing music—those unexpected moments that make certain tracks sound more intriguing than expected. The most prominent depressive elements appear in the sampled voice of an anime girl sounding shocked or weakened in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Soundtrack: Dragica Kahlina - Ava Chapter 1 OST (2022)

78 / 100 A compelling dark ambient soundtrack , best enjoyed by fans of atmospheric and cosmic soundscapes rather than traditional game OST seekers. Ava is a mobile puzzle game inspired by tarot cards , developed by Stardust LLC . It was released in four chapters, rolled out periodically between February 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. While there’s a claim that the game won an award, it was never explained exactly where or what it won. For the soundtrack of Chapter 1, Stardust LLC collaborated with local, Zurich-based artist Dragica Kahlina . Ava Chapter 1 OST by Dragica Kahlina Although the game came out in 2020, Kahlina only uploaded the OST two years later on Bandcamp , using cover art from Level 11: The Crown that features Ava herself. The atmosphere of darkness and cosmic vastness is strongly felt throughout the eleven tracks, built primarily on dark ambient foundations and layered with various sounds: echoing stick-like noises...
Post a Comment
Read more

Electronica/IDM: 4T Thieves - Humanoid (2018)

70 / 100 Humanoid is a compact and tastefully crafted slice of IDM-leaning electronica that blends futuristic elements without overwhelming the listener. I opened my December with an electronica release by 4T Thieves , an EP titled Humanoid , which came out back in February 2018. A brief profile and the project’s track record can be found on RYM or Last.fm , and it’s clear that this act has been active since the 90s, although only arriving on Bandcamp around 2018. Humanoid by 4T Thieves As the name suggests, Humanoid presents a modern environment tinged with a futuristic sci-fi atmosphere, supported by drum work leaning toward IDM and prominent synth/bass that paints the image of a future city gate on “ Elemental .” This is followed by “ Codex ,” which is given a special dose of classic IDM-style glitch effects , and the rest continues into “ The Looking Glass ,” which gives off a nighttime-shadow feel through its slightly dark synth melodies. “Band...
Post a Comment
Read more