These days, the birth or creation of a new genre is relatively rare and, if there ever is one it's generally a tad tongue-in-cheek... (HIM's "Love Metal" anyone?)...so quite often they are dismissed as fads or phases, era's in music, but it should never take away from any artists in question. Take ASHESTOANGELS for example; the boys from Bristol have been hard at work in the few years they've been together and have amassed an incredibly loyal fan-base any unsigned band would be proud of, but last year all of that started to change. With the release of 2014's "Horror Cult", Ashes found themselves in Kerrang! Magazine and spearheading a new wave of alternative bands under the banner of "New Grave"...is this their big break, or have they dug themselves a bit of a hole? Brand new album "How To Bleed" will tell all...
We kick off with opening track "Horror Cult" and it's both a nod to the success and opportunities their breakthrough album attained for them, plus a nod to the fans who have helped them achieve all they have thus far...they, no, WE are the horror cult and this is a call to arms, and with a short sharp dose of punk inspired rock they tell us all they mean business. The energy and charisma exuded by the band, especially vocalist Adam Crilly, has always been a driving force that's not only provided some brilliant live shows but that same energy goes into the songs themselves, and tracks such as first single "Find Hell" plus album highlights "Not In My Name" and "Nothing Lasts Forever" perfectly combine that tenacious punk attitude with a deeper, darker context of their almost gothic-inspired imagery.
The albums title track highlights this brilliantly both lyrically and atmospherically, it's both simple and deep, with strong melody coupled with some solid guitar work and shows a clear evolution from within the band as song writers, it isn't ALL fast and fun, there's a seriousness within them and this album further proves this with tracks such as "I Could Never Miss You" and "Ghost In The Machine". The latter a haunting ballad (pardon the pun) and is rich in emotion, Crilly's voice tender here and it really carries the song beautifully, showing a diversity in the bands song writing that's paid off very well. There's a good balance between the chaotic and the caressing throughout this album and ultimately Ashes have delivered a very strong album here.
Who cares if New Grave is a fad...because while it's a thing, it's a great thing and you don't want to miss out on bands like AshesToAngels while they're hot. You may just find your new favourite band...grab a shovel and start digging, we can all find hell together. [7]
We kick off with opening track "Horror Cult" and it's both a nod to the success and opportunities their breakthrough album attained for them, plus a nod to the fans who have helped them achieve all they have thus far...they, no, WE are the horror cult and this is a call to arms, and with a short sharp dose of punk inspired rock they tell us all they mean business. The energy and charisma exuded by the band, especially vocalist Adam Crilly, has always been a driving force that's not only provided some brilliant live shows but that same energy goes into the songs themselves, and tracks such as first single "Find Hell" plus album highlights "Not In My Name" and "Nothing Lasts Forever" perfectly combine that tenacious punk attitude with a deeper, darker context of their almost gothic-inspired imagery.
The albums title track highlights this brilliantly both lyrically and atmospherically, it's both simple and deep, with strong melody coupled with some solid guitar work and shows a clear evolution from within the band as song writers, it isn't ALL fast and fun, there's a seriousness within them and this album further proves this with tracks such as "I Could Never Miss You" and "Ghost In The Machine". The latter a haunting ballad (pardon the pun) and is rich in emotion, Crilly's voice tender here and it really carries the song beautifully, showing a diversity in the bands song writing that's paid off very well. There's a good balance between the chaotic and the caressing throughout this album and ultimately Ashes have delivered a very strong album here.
Who cares if New Grave is a fad...because while it's a thing, it's a great thing and you don't want to miss out on bands like AshesToAngels while they're hot. You may just find your new favourite band...grab a shovel and start digging, we can all find hell together. [7]
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