“Let the world sing in despair.”
Sweden has been the homefront of progressive metal since the 1990s, with bands such as Opeth and Meshuggah contributing an array of innovating ideas to help break new ground in the scene. While the former has shifted sounds to suit more of a 70s rock archetype, the latter has become an enigma in the modern metal scene, pioneering the tried-and-true ‘djent’ phenomenon. Fast forward to the mid-late 2000s, and Meshuggah is still going strong, churning out what are now considered some of the best progressive metal records of all time, such as Catch Thirty-Three and obZen.
However, another movement begins erupting – what we now know today as ‘thall’, coined by Hudiksvall-based djent legends Vildhjarta. Characterized by thunderous downtuned guitars, reverberating pitch-shifted dissonance, and otherwise polyrhythmic and mathematical chaos, the movement has also given birth to Humanity’s Last Breath. Borrowing personnel from Vildhjarta, Humanity’s Last Breath rose to prominence during the former’s extended hiatus, bringing further innovation to the thall formula and, by extension, the djent formula as a whole by infusing elements of blackened and symphonic metal into their sound, creating a soundscape that is as captivating as it is crushing. These adjectives remain intact with respect to the project’s fifth full-length offering, Ashen, which is not only their strongest effort to date, but also a contender for my personal album of the year thus far.
Ashen’s initial announcement may not have been entirely surprising, given Humanity’s Last Breath’s consistency throughout the late 2010s and early 2020s, delivering EPs, LPs and remasters of old material almost bi-yearly. That said, it’s never disappointing news, especially for those who’ve appreciated what the band has been able to accomplish thus far. My pre-release expectations for this release were immense, as I witnessed Valde propel this project to new heights just two short years ago in 2021. With that said, any doubts I might’ve had going into this thing were put to rest before I could even get my hands on it, as singles “Labyrinthian” and “Instill” absolutely blew me away upon their respective release days. While the former is an absurdly heavy and fun groove-driven stomp fest that’s sure to alleviate any worries you might have about this band going soft, the latter reintroduces some symphonic elements that were toyed with on Valde, only this time, it feels as if these have been fully inaugurated into the HLB formula. So what about Ashen as a collective? Did it live up to the hype generated by its singles? Spoiler: it did, and then some.
Right from the get-go, “Blood Spilled” demonstrates the usual HLB dissonance, accompanied by an ever-expanding repertoire of dizzying guitar chugs and guttural vocals courtesy of longtime vocalist Filip Danielsson. The opener also sports one of the heaviest and most memorable concluding breakdowns I’ve heard all year. “Linger” keeps up the momentum with its mid-tempo arrangements and a set of destructive pitch-shifted riffs laid atop. “Lifeless, Deathless” is a testament to Buster Odeholm’s production prowess; the guitar tones here are immaculate, and the subtle pulsating electronics that grace the backing portion of the track are a nice touch.
Before the record enters familiar territory, “Withering” cranks the dissonance up to eleven, with an especially impressive outro that demonstrates a slightly cleaner side to HLB’s vocal repertoire. This is not to say the track doesn’t bring on the heavy, because it does, and then some. Its mid-section is a rhythmic onslaught, smashing the listener into the ground and boasting some of the lowest notes I’ve ever heard ring out from a guitar. However, to avoid triggering any potential ‘low doesn’t make heavy’ advocates that might be reading this, I’ll leave that thought where it is.
Following the aforementioned singles, next up in the tracklist is “Catastrophize”, which wastes no time in introducing the listener to what is likely one of the heaviest intros to exist…. ever. Seriously, I had to replay this section a few times before I could truly process what it was I’d just heard. Humanity’s Last Breath has an ingenious way of sounding like the most disgusting band you’ve ever heard without having to rely on overly-egregious vocals to get the job done, and this is shown throughout multiple points in the record’s runtime. The outro to “Catastrophize” also contains what is probably my favorite riff on the entire LP, as it sounds unlike anything Buster has ever written for HLB before. Then again, this could apply to almost anywhere on the record, as Ashen continues to prove its worth as a progressive metal masterpiece that is poised to break new ground in all corners of the metal scene.
“Death Spiral” is another strong track, although nothing beyond. While this is definitely not a song that I’d skip on a full listen, it isn’t one I’d return to on its own, as just about every other offering on Ashen is infinitely more interesting. Case and point, its follow up track “Shell” contains some of the most satisfying and addicting guitar work HLB have ever demonstrated, replete with harmonics and other intricacies that elevate it to the next level. I can’t imagine covering this one will be a walk in the park.
“Passage” is a contender for my favorite cut on the album. With an intro similar to that of “Withering”’s, albeit with far more in the way of dissonance and general atmosphere, this track spirals (yes, that was done on purpose) into a hellish cacophony of blackened thall. Odeholm continues to prove he is one of the best producers in modern metal, as just about everything in this track’s soundscape is perfectly balanced. The instrumentation sounds big enough to retain all of the impact, yet manages to avoid sounding too busy for one to digest what is actually happening in the mix. “Passage” is also HLB’s second track to contain fully clean singing, the original being “Tide” from Valde. This section is proceeded by my absolute favorite moment on the entire record in the track’s conclusion, which is nothing short of phenomenal. Everything Buster and company manage to do best comes together in a masterful way, resulting in a climax that is as grandiose as it is skull crushing. This is truly Humanity’s Last Breath at their finest.
Penultimate interlude “Burden” grants a moment of reprieve before closing track “Bearer” comes into play. It is at this point where many progressive bands feel the need to include a track that borders the double digits in length, but HLB manages to provide a stellar concluding track without the need for such theatrics. “Bearer” is a modest closer that accurately summarizes everything Ashen accomplishes, and incentivizes the listener to experience it all over again.
Ashen, put simply, is Humanity’s Last Breath’s magnum opus. It is the culmination of everything this project has been striving for throughout its recent history. HLB is no longer just a project to tide you over while you endure the long (but well worth it) wait for the next Vildhjarta release; rather, it stands tall at the forefront of djent and the modern metal scene as a whole. It feels as if it’s more than just another heavy album; it is a hellish masterpiece that fans of dissonant soul crushing music like myself will return to repeatedly until Buster Odeholm and company can outdo themselves once again.
9.5/10
Ashen releases this Friday, August 4th, via Unique Leader Records.