PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Croatia’s best exporters of Doom return with an album to fuel your blackened souls.
Formed in 1995, Ashes You Leave have certainly come up the hard way, living in war torn Croatia certainly must have fuelled the bands vision and musical direction, putting them firmly in the Doom genre.
‘The Cure For Happiness’ signals the bands sixth full album release and is the first to feature Giada ’Jada’ Etro on lead vocals and also the first album the band have released with Rock N Growl Records.
So what do we have I hear you ask, well this is an album that should appeal to a pretty wide audience, ie, Doom, Gothic and Female Fronted fans alike. ’For The Heart Soul And Mind’ for example is indeed just that, a beautifully haunting track that will send shivers down the spine, showing how strong a vocalist Giada is.
’The Ever Changing’, also another gem, classic Gothic riff with some mesmeric flute sections courtesy of guest musician Ana Toric, contrasted by a dark male growl vocal provided by lead guitarist Berislav ’Bero’ Poje.
The album as a whole is really well balanced, giving you the impression that your part of a single performance rather than an eclectic mix of different songs, all combining and contrasting but all with the power to move you, which in itself deserves immense credit.
‘Meant To Stray’ is another beautifully dark and foreboding composition with another great riff but to me the track that sums the band and this album up best is ‘Summers End’ a pure wedge of soul searching, depressing, dark beauty that flows and ebbs so wonderfully well, one of those songs that you could just lie back, close your eyes and drift away to.
Doom Metal, when played well, in my opinion shouldn’t be viewed as a morose dirge that makes you throw yourself off the nearest muti storey but more of a celebration of all things dark and difficult that lie within our psyche, it should be thought provoking and yet reflective, dangerous and yet offer solace, hopeless and yet inspiring.
This album definitely ticks the boxes as far as I’m concerned, a real triumph in terms of composition, structure and performance. Looking forward, I really hope that this line up stays solid as I think it could get rather special, a band I would love to see perform live but in the meantime I will lock myself away and be satisfied with this quite special album.
Rating 8.5/10.
Track Listing;
1. Devil In Disguise.
2. Only Ashes You Leave.
3. For The Heart, Soul And Mind.
4. The Ever Changing.
5. Meant To Stray.
6. Summer’s End.
7. Reality Sad.
8. The Cure.
9. …For Happiness.
Ashes You Leave are;
Giada ’Jada’ Etro – Lead Vocals.
Berislav ’Bero’ Poje – Lead Guitar and Vocals.
Matija Rempesic – Guitar.
Marta Batinic – Violin.
Luka Petrovic – Bass Guitar and Vocals.
Sasa Vukosav – Drums.
Released on the 29th of November through Rock N Growl Records.
http://www.facebook.com/ashesyouleave
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