18th March 2024

Review: “The Fear” by Ashen Reach

Formed five years ago in Liverpool, Alternative Metal act Ashen Reach spent a year honing their sound before announcing their existence with debut album “Homecoming“. That record was so well received that it opened doors for festival appearances at the likes of Call of the Wild as well as support slots for Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons and Inglorious to name but a few during its reign. Having seen the fruits of their labours flourish, the four piece return with a sophomore effort that retains its essence, while looking to expand their horizons…

Soaring clean vocals from Kyle Martyn Stanley are wrapped around a powerful mid-tempo guitars and orchestrations that take the essence of a Traditional Heavy Metal sound and modernise it for opening cut “Ghosts“. A melancholic and introspective tune that feels inspired by bands like Disturbed, this one feels like it’s one that would play well on American Hard Rock Radio without really going anywhere until the last few seconds. Suddenly finishing on a high with a false ending followed by a short breakdown, a real gut punch moment that ends abruptly it leaves you wanting more. Increasing the intensity and urgency a couple of notches “D1v1de” references the Great Plague years and discusses the media’s ability to spread hate and fear that causes divisions in society with intelligence and has a tasteful clean chorus that will make for a sing-a-long moment live. Kyle Martyn Stanley’s vocal range continues to impress with “Neophobia” which has both an unclean vocal layer that adds a little more bite as well as some gravity defying lows as the screams of “Burn!” during the stompy finale giving it another dimension. Polished and composed that may find the band serving as a gateway act for younger fans to get their teeth into Metal and the same can be said of the heavier, brooding monster that is “The Dark“. A tune with a raw edged guitar tone that feels like heavier gauged strings have been deployed, sonically this one reflects the bleaker lyrical narrative nicely while the warm solo is a tasteful addition. Gracefully introspective without ever reaching the heights of Nu-Metal, “Lost” makes good use of vocal changes to diversify the sound while a slick transition from a bass driven section into a solo is a moment of real class. As with the breakdown on the opening cut, that moment could have been pushed further but instead the four piece reel it in rather than letting it run away and the result is something that feels like it has roots in “Midlife Crisis” by Faith No More in style. Alternative Metal with rich melodies, this record is one that grows on you with multiple listens, if you allow it to… [7/10]

Track Listing