ALBUM REVIEW: Aus Der Asche – Der Rote Milan
DER ROTE MILAN are a German black metal band, insistent on not putting on the breaks in terms of sheer brutality and darkness. Will their first album, Aus Der Asche, manage to put them on the map for being one of the best newcomers into the genre?
Aus Der Asche opens with a haunting, yet hypnotic intro Der Aufstieg before charging into the realms of what this album is really all about and what it will do. Nebel Und Regen truly opens the album into masses of directions, it already gives an understanding that whatever route the album may take however, it will be something completely vicious.
Das Ende des Tempels only secures the above statement. Within seconds, DER ROTE MILAN have the ability to go from dark atmospheric melodies to ferocious blast beats. No matter what the change is though, the vocals are consistently raw, the dynamics do occasionally change to help guide the listener in where the track is going to go next but they are powerful.
Seelenansche is one of two songs on Aus Der Asche however that really portrays the ambience of what the record is really about. It opens up with such a stunning melody, and whilst once again DER ROTE MILAN go straight into relentless fury, they have shown they have the ability to still keep the sound wonderfully elegant.
Blutleere Stille is the second, the song features a German film quote to set a rather depressing mood and once again, throughout no matter which way you may try and take it, you will feel and experience exactly what the band are trying to make you. If anything Blutleere Stille is a perfect example on the uniting of two opposites, sheer hatred with extreme beauty and it works. The way the two combine just feels like an explosion but the way it is contained and released is something else.
Der Abgrund closes the album, the song is just over 9 minutes long and the way that it has been put together is rather much like a piece of poetry. The melodies that lie underneath such darkness is outstanding. To pull off a 9 track in a genre such as black metal where it is common people can get bored, DER ROTE MILAN have done a superb job. They have managed to keep stemming different directions as the song progresses on and have still managed to keep it flowing smoothly. For a genre that is so raw and powerful, the amount of grace in Der Abgrund needs to be applauded. A beautiful outro and a stunning example of the efforts gone into Aus Der Asche.
For a self-released first album, DER ROTE MILAN have really exceeded all expectations, it is pure, raw and far beyond what it should be at this point. There is a vast amount of creativity and exploration into how Aus Der Asche should be delivered and represented and the level of professionalism and dedication that this album has obviously seen cannot be flawed. If this is the Germans first attempt at a full-length album, then they should be watched out for with any future works, because this is a magnitude of greatness.
Rating: 8/10
Aus Der Asche is set for release July 1 via self-release, pre-order here
Like DER ROTE MILAN on Facebook.
