We here at AMG are impossible to please. The four-piece Ashbringer from Minnesota, made up of atmospheric black blues, have learned that the hard way. While we praised them across their discography, those who give can also take. Ashbringer‘s previous release, We Came Here to Grieve, initially received warm reviews.
Unfortunately for them, Carcharodon, longtime Ashbringer connoisseurs, decided, after further reflection, that the clean singing on their previous release definitively derailed the album, once time and distance brought clarity. So, as if in response, Ashbringer returned with Subglacial, and there’s not even a trace of clean singing on the album, as it provides an incredibly stripped-down sound compared to their previous releases. I welcome artistic experimentation, but I disapprove of wholesale rejection of ideas due to criticism. So, do Subglacial herald a return to form? Creative stagnation? Or something in between for these purveyors of atmospheric and heartfelt black metal?
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For starters, Ashbringer created Subglacial in a way I can wholeheartedly praise. Singer Nick Stanger and drummer Andy Meyer rented a house, brought the band in and wrote, played and recorded the entire album there. In Stanger’s words, Ashbringer wanted to create a record that sounded as “us” as possible while also doing it in-house and without spending money. An admirable goal if I’ve ever heard one, and one that’s evident throughout the album. Subglacial is sparse, especially compared to We Came Here to Grieve, but even in contrast to their previous work. In just under forty minutes, it creates an incredibly tight piece that wastes no time. Stanger sticks to his signature, raspy growl, the drumming is significantly less jazzy than on Absolution, and overall, it’s heavier, more melodic and surprisingly free of acoustic left turns. Stanger and Jackson Catton’s guitar work stays on black metal essentials: loud tremolo riffs, cutting hooks and atmospheric tangential notes. Subglacial is a simple, concise record where every element is sharpened to be heavy, engaging and emotional.
Subglacial is surprisingly predictable, with “Waning Conviction” being the only track that gives the sense of having shades of previous experimentation. Starting with heavy acoustic strumming and loose drums, it builds for a while before evolving into a massive lead riff. Still, even that track seems mild (experimentally) compared to anything on We Came Here to Grieve. I agree that Stanger’s clean vocals needed work, but I don’t think the band should have rejected them entirely. Subglacial will likely be seen as a return to form by many, but I can’t help but mourn what could have been. This is a record that feels incredibly safe for a band known for breaking the rules. That doesn’t mean Subglacial is bad. In fact, it’s hard to find anything else to complain about. The production is perfectly raw, keeping Stanger’s vocals fantastically legible while also letting that atmospheric black fuzz seep in. It just shows you don’t need an expensive studio to record an album with a great sound. Every track feels essential, and this is a right-handed record in every sense of the word.
Subglacial is so concisely structured and so masterfully played that it’s hard to find flaws when looking at the whole. The opening track, “My Flesh Shows Its Weakness,” features everything you want from an Ashbringer song: atmospheric atmosphere, a massive final riff and the emotionality the band is famed for. The guitar work on Subglacial stands out and every track has memorable riffs, monolithic hooks or kick-you-in-the-teeth speed. The standout “Send Him to the Lake” is an anthem, as Stanger screams “SEND HIM TO THE LAKE,” you can’t help but feel the conviction. The track features a rising riff as a throughline, building and building, into an absolutely crushing crescendo, the atmospheric-black equivalent of an orgasm. The album-closing “Vessels” blends heaviness with the dreamy, ethereal sound of blackgaze along with some thrilling drumming from Meyer.
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Well, it’s time for the part where I upset you all. I really loved the raw emotion, vulnerability and honesty of We Came Here to Grieve, but Subglacial is a very safe step back. While the album is complete, masterfully played and moving, it lacks the boldness of their previous work. Ashbringer‘s latest album isn’t indifferent, and while I thoroughly enjoyed their latest album, it didn’t impress me like their previous work. Subglacial is solid as ice, but time may crack this album open to reveal something insignificant compared to Ashbringer‘s greater output.
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The review was done by Angry metal guy.
https://www.angrymetalguy.com/ashbringer-subglacial-review/
