ASHBRINGER

Absolution PROSTHETIC

Minneapolis black metallers provide more seeking than finding

Three albums in and Ashbringer’s very transatlantic take on black metal still doesn’t fully hit the spot. Most of the good moments on Absolution fall in the album’s second half, such as highlight Spiritual Architecture’s wonderfully vast, instrumental journey. Sadly, moments of that high quality are fleeting, although there is nothing here that you could describe as a bad song. It’s just that with a slightly too-dry production and a lack of genuine surprises, nothing truly jumps out until the aforementioned track and the slaloming and spidery album closer, Threshold Of Existence. Ashbringer have their moments but they’ve yet to achieve greatness.

FOR FANS OF: Deafheaven, Møl, Oathberaker