This is the fifth album from US post-black metal band Ashbringer.
Following on from 2019’s Absolution and 2023’s We Came Here to Grieve, Subglacial brings us 40 minutes of Ashbringer’s compelling approach to black metal. Let’s get this out of the way first – this new record is extremely strong.
After the previous record’s more experimental proclivities, Subglacial sees Ashbringer’s music refocus on the atmospheric black metal heart of the band. It’s rooted in a classic style, informed by a healthy appreciation of the subgenre’s core tenets, yet is filtered through Ashbringer’s own amiable personality and their confident post-black metal interpretation and skillset. In this way, atmospheric black metal is just one ingredient in Subglacial‘s flavoursome recipe.
The primary goal of Subglacial is the crafting of mood-focused atmosphere, but not at the expense of impactful songcraft. The music is well-written. Ashbringer build songs from a range of emotive base components, rearranging them as needed for each individual track, resulting in a record that feels like a well-structured whole. All of the songs contribute to the flow and feel of the album, yet all carry their individual strengths and assets.
The songs are awash with melodic streaks of multihued brightness and resplendent arcs of atmospheric colour. Around this, aggressive intimacy and slow-burning depth are arranged as needed, allowing Ashbringer to inject variety and memorability into their atmospheric foundations. The harsh vocals deliver a rougher counterpoint, yet still portray emotion effectively. Acoustic guitars and synths provide additional texture when deployed, frequently enriching anything they touch. On occasion, the songs embrace more metallic elements, manifesting in a muscular riff or meatier section. At others, the band’s shoegaze influences are driven to the fore. I’ll highlight Send Him to the Lake as a good example of both.
Subglacial is a strong new record from Ashbringer. After We Came Here to Grieve I wasn’t sure what a new record from Ashbringer would bring, so I’m very happy with the new material on Subglacial. Weaving together depth, nuance, and force, Ashbringer have produced a collection of songs that showcase their abilities extremely well. One could even be tempted to argue that it’s their best work. Time will tell for sure.
Very highly recommended for any fan of atmosphere-rich post-black metal.
Wonderbox Metal 