Artist: Remains of Ash
Country: Finland
Label: Self-released
Format: Digital Demo
Year: 2025
Before I could finish the review of the first Remains of Ash demo, another demo already dropped. ‘Demo II’ was released just a few months after ‘Remains of Ash’, and shows the band grow in a somewhat different direction.
While the first demo was rather overpowering with its mechanic drum sound and distorted vocals, ‘Demo II’ has a more accessible sound. Relatively of course, as Raw Black Metal is still very much the basis of this band. Already from ‘Kuolema Harhaopin’ it is obvious that the melodies play an even more pronounced role. The likes of Sargeist and Horna seem to have been more of a source of inspiration on this demo, and the music overall more melody centred and dynamic. While Remains of Ash plays Finnish Black Metal, comparison with the more recent Sulphuric Night material isn’t too far off either. This shift in approach manifests for instance in the pitch of the melodies, for the most part moving from the high-pitched tonality of the first demo (and the Dark Divination) material towards a slightly lower one. Groove plays a larger role as well, as is obvious in the almost Impaled Nazarene / Urgehal / Darkthrone type rocking earliest minutes ‘Crush the Religion of Lies’. The addition of haunting keyboards in ‘Symbol of Hate’ is another element that sets this demo further apart from the earlier demo. In ‘Eternal War’ we hear a little bit more of that high pitch melody of Dark Divination, but at the same time it’s also clear that Remains of Ash keeps its own face. A slight distortion on the vocals, the more uptempo rhythms and different positioning of the vocals as well as a clearer integration of the keyboards keep both bands far enough from each other.
I think ‘Demo II’ is quite a step forward for Remains of Ash. I liked the mechanic and distorted twist of the first demo, but musically this latest demo has a lot more to offer. I’m curious to hear if Dark Divinator has found its new direction with this demo, or if we see the band evolving even more. With the pace the releases are coming out at the moment, this answer might come sooner rather than later. And I look forward to finding out.
