Scattered Ashes

Demo 2007

Self Financed 2007

Hailing from the same stomping ground as Wolves in the Throne Room comes black metal of a slightly different mindset.  With a rough sound quality somewhat similar to a rehearsal recording, the new demo from Scattered Ashes certainly has unpolished edges.  But once you scratch deeper than the surface each songs individuality floats easily into the ears.  The three songs on the demo each speak volumes towards a promising future for this young band.  dwelling mainly in the mid-tempo range opener Shatters Icons unfurls like a banner in a steady breeze, slowly and with a ripping effect and one riffs curls into the next.  The use of the chimes adds a haunting aspect to the graveyard atmosphere of the song.  Demortalizing Poison is my favorite song with its faster tempo and bone hard chants.  Though the transitions within the song could have blended together better as it almost sounds like different songs.  Deathforge Abyss has an almost De Mysteriis era Mayhem feeling with its disharmonic lead riff as the song marches along at a funeral pace while the bass guitar ghoulishly rumbles underneath.  The drums could use a little tightening up and because of the way the demo was recorded they sometimes threaten to overpower the song due to their volume in the mix.  Thankfully however they do not ever actually accomplish this.  Nihlfog's vocals are possibly the grimmest incantations on the face of the earth, well perhaps second to those issuing forth from Inquisition.   Primitive yet memorable black metal that doesn't really fit the typical "American style" is what Scattered Ashes embodies.  Based upon the quality of the material on this demo I see a record deal in the future of Scattered Ashes.