For me this is definitely AOTY. There is literally nothing that can even compare to this. They’re genuinely pushing so many boundaries. There isn’t even really anything that sounds similar, vildhjarta is close but even then it sounds so different.
I think this record was nuts. I need to give more time to other songs, however, songs like Instill, Labrynthian, and Death Spiral make up for some of the lesser gripping songs, with how perfect I consider their structures to be. In a continuous listen, I find myself drifting off a bit until those songs punch me in the gut and bust my nut. As far as mixing goes, yeah it sucks on anything aside from my car speakers, but I do like how f’n dirty the mix is. With the right speakers this album is some of the heaviest shit I’ve heard. Also, not gonna lie, the guitar, drums, and vocals are all so damn tight on every song, I feel as though it balances out the disgusting mix it has (again, with the right speakers) Gonna let this thing simmer for a hot minute, but just for those songs, it’s a solid contender for AOTY that I don’t think will be taken unless something is just perfect front to back.
Man I was surprised that I hadn't seen anyone else complain about the loudness and compression on this album. Especially since their previous album is excellent at keeping things clear and crisp while being insanely heavy. Glad to hear you mention the mixing/mastering issues it has, dramatically hampered my enjoyment of it.
@@Healthywave99 I do have to say, it's not extremely offensive and it doesn't quite sound like a 'bad mix'. It sounds intentional and tasteful in a sense so I'm sure it's a creative decision. Still tho... Not a fan of that kind of sound. But who knows, maybe I'll warm up to it.
I don't really find it as heavy as everyone else strictly due to how it was mixed and compressed with the distorted guitars. With that type of compression, it almost makes it like an artificial heaviness imo to try and make it sound heavier than it actually is Also the album really doesn't have many memorable moments. Valde was a lot heavier and way more memorable. I also keep seeing people say all these boundaries this album is pushing. Which ones? There is nothing unique about Ashen. In fact, that's what makes it boring. Being heavy isn't enough.
It's a sound design choice. Buster over-saturated it intentionally (välde sounds super clean and flat in comparison) to make it sound more merciless and I think he absolutely succeeded
Instill brought me to this gorgeous experimental metal stuff and now it's one of the greatest albums in my life and I spent all of my life dedicating myself to the art of all kinds. The only thing I couldn't bear with from ma very childhood was metal genre. I can't describe the level of hate I felt raising along with ma best friend who's dad was the chief editor of the magazine about rock and metal. I loved rock. I hated metal. And now when I found the music, that led me to peace, that I absolutely adore, yeah, Linger especially as I'm a girl all in all and it captured me with its mesmerizing dark ominous beauty and a lil bit of melancholy maybe, now I meet people who try to act professionally describing all the lil issues Ashen has. Idk what exactly you're even talking about. I mean it's on repeat at my place I find it insainly smart, dark enough yet stunningly beautiful. I feel comfortable cause I have clinical depression and it perfectly accompanies my current state of mind. So. All in all it's such a gift to humanity I mean Ashen but humanity doesn't deserve it. Dude... it's 100 out of 5. You offer nothing. But at least you were polite and tried to stay as constructive as possible. I can respect that. But seriously 3.5? Pff. On the other hand I don't actually care) Because it doesn't affect me at all I just feel the necessity to outstand the good name of ma new fav band. Okay? Okay)
I echo your thoughts on this pretty perfectly, though I did enjoy the second half as much as the first, at least on first listen. I am kinda biased, these guys are a modern favorite of mine, and their last album Välde was my AOTY in 2021. You are absolutely correct about the mix, though, it's quite noisy. If it had the sound of Välde or even the album prior, Abyssal, I would get more enjoyment out of this.
I first heard HLB on my metal journey a year or so ago and thought oh that’s heavy. The singles for this album came out and oooh boy. The album came out and I felt I was pounded into the floor. It is the heaviest thing I’ve ever heard. I agree that it does start to drag towards the end but I was strangely mesmerised. Definitely a banger.
I agree on it dragging a bit towards the end, but oddly enough I think the last song on the album is my favorite. It is like sad thall, which I never thought I would want more of.
I was super stoked about this album, and for the most part I wasn't disappointed.. Incredibly unique and authentic sound, that dark/unsettling and heavy atmosphere really works for me.. It definitely has some flaws, but still strong 4 for me.. Very enjoyable experience!
Late to the party. But holy cow, what a crushing sound. I am literally floored by how brutal und uncompromising this sounds. (The compression is an issue, of course. But fortunately it's not as unnerving as Death Magnetic.) I agree that the record loses a bit in the second half. But the last song, Bearer, has a very haunting atmosphere. So it ends on a high note. I have to give the record a couple more spins before I dare rating it. But at the moment I'm deeply impressed. Last but not least: Thanks for the review.
I’m going to have to try again with this album, I was kind of underwhelmed on first couple of listens. The new Crypta album has interested me far more.
I actually feel kind of the opposite. I don't like how the new Crypta sounds so much like death (the band) and not crypta's first album, it's a very different sound to me. I'm guessing it's cause Taina is crazy about death as a band, she said it's like her main influence.
Yeah, the mixing really drags this one down. It’s kind of a shame too, cuz I really dig the, idk, post-nuclear war vibes this thing has going on. It makes me think of truly weird movies like Mad God. Not as good as Valde, but man if that clipping had not been there this thing woulda knocked it out of the park for me.
I’ll be honest I really like how enormous and violent it feels. Like the drums are just so fucking giant sounding. Even though it does clip I think that adds to how crushing it feels.
It's a sound design choice. Buster over-saturated it intentionally (välde sounds super clean and flat in comparison) to make it sound more merciless and I think he absolutely succeeded
H-how did you know I did something with my hair???!!! All jokes aside, while I am a fan of HLB (and I even own a shirt of them), ATM I'm feeling pretty underwhelmed by this new album. It's not terrible or mid or anything, and I would say that overall it is decently good, but holy FUCK it tries WAY too goddamn hard to sound heavy, and the songwriting isn't quite as dynamic or varied as on previous records like Valde IMO. Still though, there are a good amount of moments where the sheer heaviness does give me stank faces, but at halfway through the album it loses its impact and instead just feels try-hard and annoying, which is not something that I felt from listening to previous HLB records. I'm honestly surprised (and happy) that you probably got more out of the record than I did LMAO
everything is aesthetic and taste , what does try too hard meen? , try too little ? no mixing would make this album fit for you because you are not advocating for variety at the end of the day , if you feel like the sound of this album one day just put it on or mix something too your liking if your that passionate about music
this def wasn't bad esp considering I did not enjoy any of their previous albums but the monotony kills it for me. there's only so many ways to write riffs that consist entirely of chugs with random trems/squeals in the space between. the two best tracks here are Instill and Labyrinthian with the former sounding the most unique on the album and the latter having memorable grooves that work with the sound. vildhjarta does this sound better imo
From the singles, i was really hyped, but when the album actually released and i listened to it… MAN was i bored, most of the riffs sounded the same and just sounded hollow and empty (while heavy, i guess) i guess i’m in the minority here, i rlly wanted to like this lmao😅. Edit: not like i hated this, but i felt this was a kinda overhyped, also the mixing isn’t an issue for me, it at least gives the record some kind of personality.
I don’t really care for deathcore but I do really like whatever the fuck you would call Humanity’s Last Breath. I’m always interested in whatever Buster Odeholm touches. I’m disappointed about the compression on this album, even on high end headphones it is annoying. But on a good note , the mid section on Labrynthiam is the only thing that I’ve heard this year that makes this old dude want to jump up and violently punch holes in the fucking dry wall. Good album that could have been monumental if it wasn’t over compressed.
If death metal is MMA, this is pro wrestling. Has that lame nu-metal bass tone that sounds heavy for about thirty seconds, and then it just seems dumb and monotonous.
im not saying picking up a 90,s bm demo type inaudible which that too has an appeal because you dont need too hear everything in music but the middle ground is cool , the parts in blood spilled and death spiral or instill where noise is just ozzing from everywhere are so sick, i mean i dont get the case that its a bad mix cause like 90 % of 'deathcore' has the same sound so just go to that , metal dudes in this comment section are the worst , overhyped? what sort of measurement is that ? sounds like dubstep ? the new crypta ?!?!?! 45 year olds and over only average commenter? tries too hard too sound heavy ? has anyone played this through monitors like loud as shit ? or do your ears create a hole that goes straight through your head ?
For me this is definitely AOTY. There is literally nothing that can even compare to this. They’re genuinely pushing so many boundaries. There isn’t even really anything that sounds similar, vildhjarta is close but even then it sounds so different.
I think this record was nuts. I need to give more time to other songs, however, songs like Instill, Labrynthian, and Death Spiral make up for some of the lesser gripping songs, with how perfect I consider their structures to be. In a continuous listen, I find myself drifting off a bit until those songs punch me in the gut and bust my nut.
As far as mixing goes, yeah it sucks on anything aside from my car speakers, but I do like how f’n dirty the mix is. With the right speakers this album is some of the heaviest shit I’ve heard.
Also, not gonna lie, the guitar, drums, and vocals are all so damn tight on every song, I feel as though it balances out the disgusting mix it has (again, with the right speakers)
Gonna let this thing simmer for a hot minute, but just for those songs, it’s a solid contender for AOTY that I don’t think will be taken unless something is just perfect front to back.
Man I was surprised that I hadn't seen anyone else complain about the loudness and compression on this album. Especially since their previous album is excellent at keeping things clear and crisp while being insanely heavy. Glad to hear you mention the mixing/mastering issues it has, dramatically hampered my enjoyment of it.
Honestly I thought it made the album sound even better that way.
@@Healthywave99 I do have to say, it's not extremely offensive and it doesn't quite sound like a 'bad mix'. It sounds intentional and tasteful in a sense so I'm sure it's a creative decision. Still tho... Not a fan of that kind of sound. But who knows, maybe I'll warm up to it.
I don't really find it as heavy as everyone else strictly due to how it was mixed and compressed with the distorted guitars. With that type of compression, it almost makes it like an artificial heaviness imo to try and make it sound heavier than it actually is
Also the album really doesn't have many memorable moments. Valde was a lot heavier and way more memorable. I also keep seeing people say all these boundaries this album is pushing. Which ones? There is nothing unique about Ashen. In fact, that's what makes it boring. Being heavy isn't enough.
It's a sound design choice. Buster over-saturated it intentionally (välde sounds super clean and flat in comparison) to make it sound more merciless and I think he absolutely succeeded
Instill brought me to this gorgeous experimental metal stuff and now it's one of the greatest albums in my life and I spent all of my life dedicating myself to the art of all kinds. The only thing I couldn't bear with from ma very childhood was metal genre. I can't describe the level of hate I felt raising along with ma best friend who's dad was the chief editor of the magazine about rock and metal. I loved rock. I hated metal. And now when I found the music, that led me to peace, that I absolutely adore, yeah, Linger especially as I'm a girl all in all and it captured me with its mesmerizing dark ominous beauty and a lil bit of melancholy maybe, now I meet people who try to act professionally describing all the lil issues Ashen has. Idk what exactly you're even talking about. I mean it's on repeat at my place I find it insainly smart, dark enough yet stunningly beautiful. I feel comfortable cause I have clinical depression and it perfectly accompanies my current state of mind. So. All in all it's such a gift to humanity I mean Ashen but humanity doesn't deserve it. Dude... it's 100 out of 5. You offer nothing. But at least you were polite and tried to stay as constructive as possible. I can respect that. But seriously 3.5? Pff. On the other hand I don't actually care) Because it doesn't affect me at all I just feel the necessity to outstand the good name of ma new fav band. Okay? Okay)
Chill.
Tldr.
Great band. Välde was one of my favorites from 2021. Eagerly awaiting for my copy of Ashen to arrive to give it its first spin.
I echo your thoughts on this pretty perfectly, though I did enjoy the second half as much as the first, at least on first listen. I am kinda biased, these guys are a modern favorite of mine, and their last album Välde was my AOTY in 2021.
You are absolutely correct about the mix, though, it's quite noisy. If it had the sound of Välde or even the album prior, Abyssal, I would get more enjoyment out of this.
This album reminds when LOG released Ashes of the Wake, people asked “what genre is that?”
I got the same feeling with this new album of HLB.
It's deathcore...just deathcore
@@jordanmiles2195not really
I first heard HLB on my metal journey a year or so ago and thought oh that’s heavy. The singles for this album came out and oooh boy. The album came out and I felt I was pounded into the floor. It is the heaviest thing I’ve ever heard. I agree that it does start to drag towards the end but I was strangely mesmerised. Definitely a banger.
I agree on it dragging a bit towards the end, but oddly enough I think the last song on the album is my favorite. It is like sad thall, which I never thought I would want more of.
Good follow up to Valde
I was super stoked about this album, and for the most part I wasn't disappointed..
Incredibly unique and authentic sound, that dark/unsettling and heavy atmosphere really works for me..
It definitely has some flaws, but still strong 4 for me.. Very enjoyable experience!
Late to the party. But holy cow, what a crushing sound. I am literally floored by how brutal und uncompromising this sounds. (The compression is an issue, of course. But fortunately it's not as unnerving as Death Magnetic.) I agree that the record loses a bit in the second half. But the last song, Bearer, has a very haunting atmosphere. So it ends on a high note. I have to give the record a couple more spins before I dare rating it. But at the moment I'm deeply impressed. Last but not least: Thanks for the review.
totally agree on the compression issue. still loved the material.
a new genre is born.
I’m going to have to try again with this album, I was kind of underwhelmed on first couple of listens. The new Crypta album has interested me far more.
I actually feel kind of the opposite. I don't like how the new Crypta sounds so much like death (the band) and not crypta's first album, it's a very different sound to me. I'm guessing it's cause Taina is crazy about death as a band, she said it's like her main influence.
Brother excellent review 🤘🏼 🤘🏼 🤘🏼
Yeah, the mixing really drags this one down. It’s kind of a shame too, cuz I really dig the, idk, post-nuclear war vibes this thing has going on. It makes me think of truly weird movies like Mad God. Not as good as Valde, but man if that clipping had not been there this thing woulda knocked it out of the park for me.
I’ll be honest I really like how enormous and violent it feels. Like the drums are just so fucking giant sounding. Even though it does clip I think that adds to how crushing it feels.
It's a sound design choice. Buster over-saturated it intentionally (välde sounds super clean and flat in comparison) to make it sound more merciless and I think he absolutely succeeded
Thank you for this! It’s Thall btw.
Thall is just a deathcore subgenre
@@MadailinBurnhope duh
@@MadailinBurnhopeactually it’s a sub genre of djent i.e. meshuggah.
'guys its not poopyfartballs metal its actually ballsfartpoopy metal'
@@themetalmeltdownofficial *grabs pitchfork*
H-how did you know I did something with my hair???!!!
All jokes aside, while I am a fan of HLB (and I even own a shirt of them), ATM I'm feeling pretty underwhelmed by this new album. It's not terrible or mid or anything, and I would say that overall it is decently good, but holy FUCK it tries WAY too goddamn hard to sound heavy, and the songwriting isn't quite as dynamic or varied as on previous records like Valde IMO. Still though, there are a good amount of moments where the sheer heaviness does give me stank faces, but at halfway through the album it loses its impact and instead just feels try-hard and annoying, which is not something that I felt from listening to previous HLB records.
I'm honestly surprised (and happy) that you probably got more out of the record than I did LMAO
everything is aesthetic and taste , what does try too hard meen? , try too little ? no mixing would make this album fit for you because you are not advocating for variety at the end of the day , if you feel like the sound of this album one day just put it on or mix something too your liking if your that passionate about music
this def wasn't bad esp considering I did not enjoy any of their previous albums but the monotony kills it for me. there's only so many ways to write riffs that consist entirely of chugs with random trems/squeals in the space between. the two best tracks here are Instill and Labyrinthian with the former sounding the most unique on the album and the latter having memorable grooves that work with the sound. vildhjarta does this sound better imo
Haven't heard this thing yet. Probably will do that sometime.
I put this album on my bathroom scale to see how heavy it really was and it broke my fucking scale. 😢 Dammit Metal Meltdown!
Its OK. It's reminds me of dub step though. Riffs are more sound effects that give off ambience rather than your standard affair.
That shit is heavy as fuck😊
this album sounds best on 128 kbps MP3 son!!
keep your hair short bro…it looks great
You know what I agree I love this new humanitys last breath album so bite into your wart apple which is a apple with warts
A bruised apple can still be used for pies n' such. Dig in.
Buster doesn't miss.
It was ok.
From the singles, i was really hyped, but when the album actually released and i listened to it… MAN was i bored, most of the riffs sounded the same and just sounded hollow and empty (while heavy, i guess) i guess i’m in the minority here, i rlly wanted to like this lmao😅.
Edit: not like i hated this, but i felt this was a kinda overhyped, also the mixing isn’t an issue for me, it at least gives the record some kind of personality.
I don’t really care for deathcore but I do really like whatever the fuck you would call Humanity’s Last Breath. I’m always interested in whatever Buster Odeholm touches. I’m disappointed about the compression on this album, even on high end headphones it is annoying. But on a good note , the mid section on Labrynthiam is the only thing that I’ve heard this year that makes this old dude want to jump up and violently punch holes in the fucking dry wall. Good album that could have been monumental if it wasn’t over compressed.
Isnt this Thall n not deathcore?
Thall isnt a real subgenre
Damn...lolol
Humanity's Bad Breath release another stinkblast of an album?! That band is the shit! 💩🤘
AOTY
Hey baldie
If death metal is MMA, this is pro wrestling. Has that lame nu-metal bass tone that sounds heavy for about thirty seconds, and then it just seems dumb and monotonous.
Funny thing is, I just recently have a haircut. And thank you; yours, too.
im not saying picking up a 90,s bm demo type inaudible which that too has an appeal because you dont need too hear everything in music but the middle ground is cool , the parts in blood spilled and death spiral or instill where noise is just ozzing from everywhere are so sick, i mean i dont get the case that its a bad mix cause like 90 % of 'deathcore' has the same sound so just go to that , metal dudes in this comment section are the worst , overhyped? what sort of measurement is that ? sounds like dubstep ? the new crypta ?!?!?! 45 year olds and over only average commenter? tries too hard too sound heavy ? has anyone played this through monitors like loud as shit ? or do your ears create a hole that goes straight through your head ?
boring album
give us some recommendations