THE EMBER, THE ASH

Fixation

Prosthetic
rating icon 7 / 10

Track listing:

01. Strychnine
02. Fixation
03. Becoming the Eidolon
04. The Colossal Void
05. Celestial Fracture
06. A Growing Emptiness
07. Consciousness Torn from the Void


Blackened deathcore is a niche that many have explored over the last decade. THE EMBER, THE ASH began with more straightforwardly black intentions but have embraced deathcore's grooves and sledgehammer impact along the way. The result is a sound that strives to exploit the best of both worlds, and does so pretty well for the majority of "Fixation". You might reasonably argue that there is nothing wildly original going on here, but as the Canadian band's second full-length progresses, it becomes gradually apparent that they are still evolving and shoulder barging the outer limits of an otherwise fairly restrictive sonic identity.

The first few tracks work as finessed upgrades to the formula laid down on the first ABIGAIL WILLIAMS albums, a staggering 13 years ago, but with plenty of contemporary crunch and deathly swagger. In particular, opener "Strychnine" is a dazzling example of the form, even without any major surprises. Similarly, the title track is a sophisticated blend of bench-pressing steroid metal and haunting, ice-blasted discord. Things really start to get interesting during "The Colossal Void", wherein THE EMBER, THE ASH sound liberated from a mosh-centric formula, immersed in thick waves of pulsing darkness and infused with hazy, post-metal sensibilities. "A Growing Emptiness" is even more absorbing, as the band's hybrid seems to mutate in real time, puking up a dense atmosphere of existential dismay in the process. The closing "Conscious Torn from the Void" is the real revelation here, however. Ten minutes of strident and progressive black metal, with just a hint of deathcore's precise battery underpinning certain sections, it's a grandiose and breathlessly confident slab of symphonic horror.

Blessed with a production that favors infernal squall over the immaculate squeak of a Pro Tools grid, "Fixation" loudly demonstrates its creators' allegiance to the dark side. Far more than any of their blackened peers, THE EMBER, THE ASH make this willful combining of disparate elements sound like the most natural thing in the world. There might still be a few too many breakdown riffs for the average ARCHGOAT fan, but you can't win 'em all. And if that closing track is anything to go by, the band's next album promises to be something special.

Author: Dom Lawson
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).