From The Ashes
May 19th saw the first demo by Dutch metal band, From The Ashes, released at Bandstart Studio in Naarden. Released under the name ‘Destruction Dawn’, the band sent us through a copy of the demo to check out to see what we thought, and I for one was looking forward to hearing it. Describing themselves as a blackened death metal band, this Dutch band originally formed in 2009 but didn’t find a stable unit until mid 2011, hence the delay in the demo. Recorded in February of this year, this is the result of a lot of hard work and determination – so I hit play and prepared myself for what I was about to hear.
Opening with The Cleansing there’s an immediate transportation to a place of darkness, a place where strings lead the way and a serene sense of melody and calm fills the room. Suggesting that there’s going to be heavier stuff to follow, this dramatic and orchestral opening sequence makes the demo stand out from the word go, demonstrating a solid understanding not only of music, but of the technical side as well – and then it drops! Launching into a powerful melee of hammering drum lines, screaming vocals and roaring guitar lines, the contrast to the softer opening moments are apparent from the off and will take you by surprise if you’re not prepared for it. Heavy, powerful, dark and firmly rooted in death metal, this isn’t music for the fans of softer stuff, this is the sort of music that’s going to kill your cat and feed it to you in your sleep – but it’s very very cool to hear. Despite the all out roaring approach throughout the track, there’s also a real sense of melody which keeps you listening and engaged, keeping the track alive and letting you know that the guys are firmly aware of what they’re doing.
Moving into Echoes From Oblivion we’re once again treated to a deceptively soft opening before the pummelling reign of heaviness once again takes over. Combining the roaring vocal line with the soft guitar, then adding a heavy guitar line but keeping the beat slow makes this a track which stands out as proper heavy, yet once again it’s accessible and by no means over the top. Once again demonstrating a solid technical awareness within their music, this track roves between simplistic straight forward moments, and moments which are syncopated and more complex, giving you an overall track which won’t just get your head banging, but also make you think about what you’re hearing. Following on with Undead Unborn, the theme of complex movements continues as the lead guitar leads the way into the track. Forming a track which could be interpreted as more ‘stereotypically’ metal, this track is a return to the more conventional approach of making metal, yet still manages to harness a supreme amount of power and aggression throughout. My one issue with this track is the recording, the guitar sounds echoey at times which can detract from the track, but it’s a minor complaint – and when you hear the almost Spanish style mid-section I think you’ll agree.
Closing the demo with Crush The Fallen there’s one last chance to bear witness to the all out power of Dutch metal, finishing with a track which seems to be the heaviest of the whole demo so far. Fast, roaring, powerful, and full to the brim with hammering guitar lines, rumbling bass, screaming vocals and solid drums – this is a track which is going to divide the real fans from those who think they can take it – it’s about as heavy as it gets. Despite the heaviness, once again there’s a sense of melody within things, showing for one final time that this is a band not to underestimate, there’s a lot of skill here.
From The Ashes have produced a demo here which isn’t perfect, there’s still tweaks which could be made but at the same time, the rough and raw quality makes it stand out as real, showing that we’re dealing with a band who can play rather than a studio that can make a band sound good. If you’re looking for an all out heavy band to get you moving – this could well be the way forwards!
To find out more about From The Ashes, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with The Cleansing there’s an immediate transportation to a place of darkness, a place where strings lead the way and a serene sense of melody and calm fills the room. Suggesting that there’s going to be heavier stuff to follow, this dramatic and orchestral opening sequence makes the demo stand out from the word go, demonstrating a solid understanding not only of music, but of the technical side as well – and then it drops! Launching into a powerful melee of hammering drum lines, screaming vocals and roaring guitar lines, the contrast to the softer opening moments are apparent from the off and will take you by surprise if you’re not prepared for it. Heavy, powerful, dark and firmly rooted in death metal, this isn’t music for the fans of softer stuff, this is the sort of music that’s going to kill your cat and feed it to you in your sleep – but it’s very very cool to hear. Despite the all out roaring approach throughout the track, there’s also a real sense of melody which keeps you listening and engaged, keeping the track alive and letting you know that the guys are firmly aware of what they’re doing.
Moving into Echoes From Oblivion we’re once again treated to a deceptively soft opening before the pummelling reign of heaviness once again takes over. Combining the roaring vocal line with the soft guitar, then adding a heavy guitar line but keeping the beat slow makes this a track which stands out as proper heavy, yet once again it’s accessible and by no means over the top. Once again demonstrating a solid technical awareness within their music, this track roves between simplistic straight forward moments, and moments which are syncopated and more complex, giving you an overall track which won’t just get your head banging, but also make you think about what you’re hearing. Following on with Undead Unborn, the theme of complex movements continues as the lead guitar leads the way into the track. Forming a track which could be interpreted as more ‘stereotypically’ metal, this track is a return to the more conventional approach of making metal, yet still manages to harness a supreme amount of power and aggression throughout. My one issue with this track is the recording, the guitar sounds echoey at times which can detract from the track, but it’s a minor complaint – and when you hear the almost Spanish style mid-section I think you’ll agree.
Closing the demo with Crush The Fallen there’s one last chance to bear witness to the all out power of Dutch metal, finishing with a track which seems to be the heaviest of the whole demo so far. Fast, roaring, powerful, and full to the brim with hammering guitar lines, rumbling bass, screaming vocals and solid drums – this is a track which is going to divide the real fans from those who think they can take it – it’s about as heavy as it gets. Despite the heaviness, once again there’s a sense of melody within things, showing for one final time that this is a band not to underestimate, there’s a lot of skill here.
From The Ashes have produced a demo here which isn’t perfect, there’s still tweaks which could be made but at the same time, the rough and raw quality makes it stand out as real, showing that we’re dealing with a band who can play rather than a studio that can make a band sound good. If you’re looking for an all out heavy band to get you moving – this could well be the way forwards!
To find out more about From The Ashes, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls