Ashbringer - We Came Here To Grieve

Ambitious, bold and surprisingly diverse, Ashbringer have always been a force of their own in the underground. Their new album We Came Here To Grieve is just another addition to that, moving from their atmospheric black metal roots and towards something much bolder and more far reaching. Ashbringer have been wandering a unique path since their inception in 2013, and now 10 years in they are unveiling some of their broadest sweeping work yet and leaving me ever more impressed with the sonic landscapes they have cultivated for us. 

We Came Here To Grieve impresses because of the breadth of the composition. It's music that, while still paying tribute to the black metal roots of the project is unafraid to bring in noise, folk, ambient and post metal influences. In particular it feels like the impact of bands like Neurosis looms larger than ever on We Came Here To Grieve. The end result is a multi layered, kaleidoscopic recording that makes an immediate impact. It's always impressive when an artist approaches their work with this level of verve and imagination and We Came Here To Grieve is simply an amplification of that. It's deeply rewarding and driving. 

Ashbringer are a one of a kind force in the underground, few projects started so young and have been so willing to explore new sonic landscapes, even after early success. While at sometimes the vast ambition of this project works against it, and I occasionally wish more time was spent on the mix, this is as a whole a really impressive, bold recording. We Came Here To Grieve is an artist pushing themselves to the limit, no matter the consequences. It's really compelling stuff and it's going to mean that Ashbringer's career remains thrilling for years to come. 

Pre-order the album!

https://ashbringermusic.bandcamp.com/album/we-came-here-to-grieve