Ashbringer - Absolution Review

When I reviewed Panopticon's The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness I and II last year, I was unfortunately disappointed. The genre blend of Americana folk and atmospheric black metal was intriguing to me, to say the least, and from such a revered band no less. Alas, there was a gaping hole in the joining of those two separate sounds. That which needed to be filled by a "trve" black metal album filled with pretty acoustic guitar passages and rancid harsh vocals, all at the same time. While Paara's Riitti and Fluisteraars/Turia's De Oord were definitely able to satiate my atmospheric black metal hunger, the folk element was missing. Eneferens created a magnificent doom-influenced black metal album with many acoustic passages and clean singing to boot, it did not match the aesthetic that Panopticon was able to craft on TSoMotONW. Well, over a year after that album was released, statemates to Eneferens, Ashbringer give us Absolution, an album to finally satiate this thirst. 

I began listening to this album on a long drive through central New Hampshire, where the woods seem endless and the highways stretch for miles. During this commute I was able to begin and finish this album, almost exactly matching the runtime with my term on the road. I listened to this album twice that day; once towards and once leaving my destination. Funnily enough, I did not know on my initial listen that this would garner the same types of emotions that were spawned by the music of Panopticon, as well as albums like Arkheron Thodol's 2017 debut Thaw and Alda's 2018 release Tahoma. Driving for what seemed like an everlasting distance was elating when listening to Ashbringer's mix of this catchy black metal (with a heavy dose of folk injected in) and something reminiscent of King Apathy, primarily in the vocals, but also in the instrumentation. Heavy but melodic, haunting yet beautiful, and euphoric though somber and perfect terms to describe the wonderful sounds brought together on Absolution. 

Sixty-eight minutes is somewhat of a long time to cover in the modern music landscape, but Ashbringer has no trouble filling that space, as each track clocks in at over 7 minutes in run time. Tracks "Absolution" and "Wilderness Walk" begin the album with beautiful folk riffs that are extremely Panopticon-esque, but to no fault. Luscious melodies follow the intense but serene tremolo riffs. Punchy drums accompany the songs with ferocity and grace. The harsh vocals bring together the verses and choruses with primal screams and howls about the beauty and vastness of nature. These two songs exemplify this album's best qualities; accessible riffs that still rock to even the kvltest black metal fan, fantastic production that makes you feel like the songs are reverberating through the forest trees, and songwriting that is constantly twisting and turning, making repeated spins a treat. "Eternal Separation, Pt. I" and "Eternal Separation, Pt. 2" utilize odd guitar patterns and effects to create a chilling atmosphere, while songs like "Shrine of Loss" and "Spiritual Architecture" highlight their use of keys to paint a beautiful, atmospheric picture of the Minnesotan wilderness on an endless canvas. 

This album is truly great, but nothing is without its faults. Ashbringer's particular flaw comes in wearing their influences on their sleeves. Although absolutely awesome, it is very derivative of bands that came before it (Panopticon, Alda, Waldgefluster, etc.), and a great majority of the songs on this album have a very similar flow, pacing, and structure. Those are minor, but similar complaints that I had to The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness I and II last year. Additionally, while I think the folky riffs are amazing, many fans of black metal might not take super kindly to them (although a lot of black metal has folk and pagan routes). However, Absolution is a much better album than the previously mentioned Panopticon album I reviewed last year. Its riffs are far more catchy, its atmosphere even more alluring, and the band's performance is impeccable comparable to Austin's. If sounding like Panopticon with less filler is a sin, then Ashbringer is going to hell, but they are going to bring everyone with them. This album is a glorious black metal album with hooky and compelling writing that gives the listener something new to think about the environment on every listen. This is one of my favorite releases of the year and will continue to be throughout 2019. 

Final Score: Man, Minnesota makes really good atmospheric black metal

Favorite Tracks: "Wilderness Walk", "Spiritual Architecture"