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New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
March 2019
- The Mute Gods: Atheists And Believers
- Scarlet Aura: Hot N Heavy
- RPWL: Tales From Outer Space
- Pendulum Of Fortune: Return To Eden
- Hell Fire: Mania
- Bloodbound: Rise Of The Dragon Empire
- Stonecast: I Earther
- Iron Savior: Kill Or Get Killed
- Iron Fire: Beyond The Void
- Wretch: Man Or Machine
- Starquake: Time Space Matter
- Appearance Of Nothing: In Times Of Darkness
- Warrior Path: Warrior Path
- Tim Bowness: Flowers At The Scene
- The Riven: The Riven
- Roulette: Now!
- Red Cain: Kindred Act I
- Darkwater: Human
February 2019
- Cats In Space: Daytrip To Narnia
- BUS: Never Decide
- Phil Vincent: Hypocrite
- West Bound: Volume I
- Tug Of War: Soulfire
- Traveler: Traveler
- Tora Tora: Bastards Of Beale
- Spirits Of Fire: Spirits Of Fire
- Rhapsody Of Fire: The Eighth Mountain
- Lugnet: Nightwalker
- Last In Line: II
- Mastord: Trail Of Consequence
Ashent: Inheritance
Ashent: Inheritance
Progressive Metal
3.5/5.0
With 2009's Deconstructive, Italian metal band Ashent attempted to break from European power metal mold with a more progressive sound. Largely, they succeeded, although it was sometimes uneven. This year's Inheritance builds upon that foundation as Ashent tries press farther into the realm of progressive metal.
Ashent: putting the big guy up front.
Again, generally, they have succeeded. Some of the success comes from a new lead vocalist, Titta Tani, who is a quite versatile singer and arranger. Additionally, Ashent have made their arrangements more technical, even complex, adding sequencers, synths, some sax inserts, orchestral parts, and choirs.
Sometimes, however, this attempt at invention and complexity blows back on them. Songs like Eve, Shipwrecked Affair, and Spider's Nest are so thick that it sounds like there are several songs overlapping one another in the same arrangement. Some of this may be due to the mix, but I doubt it. Conversely La Danzatrice Scalza has the complete opposite feeling. It's nearly perfect prog, interestingly, but not severely, technical, and simply delightful to the ears. Actually, Ashent seems to better when they're not trying to fill a song with a trick in their bag. Renaissance and the closing instrumental Labyrinthique are entertaining in their lack of complexity.
Yet, overall, Inheritance Inheritance continues to deepen the Ashent's exploration into more complex progressive metal, but sometimes with mixed results. Recommended.
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In Short
Overall, Inheritance continues to deepen the Ashent's exploration into more complex progressive metal, but sometimes with mixed results.
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