Artist: Remains of Ash
Country: Finland
Label: Self-released
Format: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
Remains of Ash was formed in January 2025 by Dark Divinator, who is also active in Kerzenlicht, Dark Divination, Valonkantaja and Nekromanser. Like Dark Divination, Remains of Ash is a solo project, and the main man behind the act seems truly inspired. Within three months, Remains of Ash has released two demos, this self-titled demo being the first.
On this first demo, we are presented with two tracks that encompass about eight minutes in total. The recipe for Remains of Ash is not too dissimilar to Dark Divination, in particular in the high pitch of the tremolo riffs. What sets Remains of Ash apart is the more mechanic drum sound, the some more relentless and uniform pace, and the distortion effect on the vocals. These vocals are pulled close towards those of Wrest of Leviathan, although musically there is very little overlap. The melody-driven and cold Black Metal that is presented on ‘Remains of Ash’ is very Finnish in nature, with a trademark hint of melancholy hidden in the overt melodies. While track ‘I’ is somewhat more repetitive, in ’II’ Dark Divinator finds some excellent passages that break from the otherwise rather overwhelming sound of the drums and distorted vocals.
All in all, Remains of Ash appears to go for a more overpowering approach with a mechanic and distorted vocal sound, as opposed to the somewhat more open sound of the most recent Dark Divination EP. One thing is for certain though: if you are enamored by the cold and raw Finnish Black Metal melody of either of the bands, be sure not to stop there, as Dark Divinator has a knack for writing excellent music in every project he’s involved in. And Remains of Ash is no exception.
