Harvest Of Ash - Castaway

Harvest Of Ash is a doom metal band from Salt Lake City, Utah.  They hit the scene in 202 with their “Deadlights” EP; their latest release, “Castaway,” is their second full-length album.

Apparently, each of the album’s five songs act as a chapter in the tale of confronting and overcoming chaos.  This idea was born out of the band going through a particular hard time while writing the album.  I’m not exactly sure what happened but I can certainly feel the emotion in each of the songs.  

The band’s doom sound also includes some post-elements and can be as melodic as it is heavy. It's also very bass focused, which is great.  I love how the melodies and guitar often revolve around the bass; it’s like a powerful center from which the music revolves around, resulting in what I call an ‘orbital hurricane.’  

The production and mix sticks out just as much as the powerful, emotive songwriting too.  The album has a loud, huge sound too but nothing is buried in the mix—each instrument, all the elements in each song, are presented in a way that lets the music just wash over you (or run over you, rather) or you can bend your ear to pick out each different layer.  

The album is somewhat short for a doom/post album, with five songs under 40 minutes.  To me, that is the perfect length for the band’s presentation and it also makes it easier to go back through the album over and over again.  I did just that because, well, it’s so goddamn good. 

“Castaway,” makes a bold statement as both the album’s title track and opening song.  After a powerful first few seconds that drops a mountain of riffs and thick bass, the song settles into a dense groove that will certainly bang your head, if it isn’t already.  The vocals are fantastic—deep growls that are still intelligible.  As Pepper growls the lyrics, he drops simple but sweltering riffs; the crisp, tight drumming moves through the music with ease, offering a sterling foundation that also compliments everything, especially the bass. 

The song speeds up a bit after the 4 minute mark, each of the three musicians throwing in a little jam session that incorporates clean tones that bridge the gap to another riff fest.  This song is just about 7 minutes in length but never feels like it.  One hell of an opening track! 

The bass and drums lead “Shine,” into a vortex of distortion and atmospheric post tones that live within liminal spaces.  The vocals are a shadow hanging over the music, everything slowly coming together by the two minute mark.  This song is encompassing and felt like it was actually entering my brain through my ear canal.  The song, and the album as a whole, dances among light and heavy elements with ease, coming off in a natural way so that every moment is a cliffhanger that leaves you wanting to hear what comes next. 

Some kind of weird noise in the latter half of the song turns the song into a twisted mind game before settling into a slow, glacier style riffs.  The drums push the song hard into a sonic territory where nothing but doom and gloom exists. 

“Flame,” ends the album but begins with gentle, clean tones like the early moments of small embers trying to grow into a roaring flame.  That flame ignites around the 2:30 mark with one riff after another–the bass and drums really pour it on too, all three instruments becoming one huge force of emotional devastation.  The fallen ashes are represented by power riffs that bend and break at the will of forces that are beyond initial control. 

Harvest of Ash’s “Castaway,” is a fantastic journey that uses doom and post-metal to grow their abrasive and sullen textures into an emotional ride that won’t soon be forgotten. 

Rating:  Excellent